The future of the seaside city...

The name Sam Son evokes a complex blend of natural and man-made values. The skillful hand of nature has arranged a harmonious interplay of waves, land, and mountains, creating the captivating landscape of Sam Son. Over thousands of years of "building dikes and reclaiming land from the sea," generations of Sam Son people have toiled and sweated to establish villages and communities, diligently working to achieve the life they have today. Building on these potentials, advantages, and achievements, the Party Committee, government, and people of Sam Son are united, dedicating their hearts, minds, and strength to continue pursuing the aspiration of developing this young city.

Sam Son tourism is increasingly establishing its brand and position on the national tourism map. Photo: Hoang Dong

Sam Son, one could imagine, is like a beautiful young woman, brimming with vitality. Sam Son boasts stunning natural landscapes, long stretches of gently sloping white sand beaches, and the vast ocean reflecting the Truong Le mountain range. Its unique system of historical, cultural, and spiritual relics, such as the Doc Cuoc Temple, Co Tien Temple, To Hien Thanh Temple, and Trong Mai Rock, are intertwined with folk festivals, traditions, and stories steeped in spirituality and legend. All these elements blend together, creating a harmonious blend of beauty and charm, radiating the allure of a branded, distinctive seaside tourist city with many unique and outstanding tourism values. In the early 20th century, when the French began constructing roads and the first modern facilities for resorts, Sam Son tourism gradually began to flourish. The French considered Sam Son a jewel of the sea, the most ideal resort destination in Indochina.

The prestige and pride of this land, marked by historical events, sparkling with cultural essence and revolutionary traditions; the place honored to welcome President Ho Chi Minh, and chosen by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh as the first location for the regrouping of people, cadres, soldiers, and students from the South to the North... has become a solid foundation and an important internal resource, encouraging and motivating the land and people of Sam Son to continuously strive and make efforts. At the same time, the glorious history and beautiful cultural roots serve as a "mirror" for Sam Son tourism to critically examine itself and resolutely innovate.

In Thanh Hoa's tourism development strategy, Sam Son has always been identified as a key tourist city, requiring priority investment and development. Resolution No. 07-NQ/TU dated November 26, 2021, of the Provincial Party Committee on "Building and developing Sam Son until 2030, with a vision to 2045" sets the goal of building Sam Son into a national key tourist city, an attractive and friendly destination for domestic and international tourists. The economic structure in production value is as follows: services account for 84.5%; industry and construction account for 14.3%; agriculture, forestry, and fisheries account for 1.2%. Average per capita income is expected to exceed 200 million VND/year... By 2045, Sam Son aims to become a leading unique tourist, entertainment, and recreation city in the country. It is closely connected to Thanh Hoa City in terms of urban space, economic development, tourism, and services.

Following the direction and guidance of the Central Government and the province, in recent years, Sam Son City has strengthened urban planning and management, as well as tourism management; infrastructure has been invested in a synchronous and modern direction; several new urban areas and many large projects have been completed and put into use, changing the urban landscape. Sam Son has expanded both in administrative boundaries and development space; the urbanization rate is increasing... Sam Son City continues to effectively carry out the task of attracting investment, especially from "big players" in the field of eco-tourism and resort business, along with a "wave" of trillion-dong investment through large-scale projects and works, creating a huge driving force for strong transformations along the Thanh Hoa coastline in general. Promoting the preservation and development of cultural values, coupled with building an image of Sam Son people as civilized, friendly, and beautiful in the hearts of friends and tourists, is identified as an important task, both urgent and ongoing, continuous and long-term, for Sam Son City...

Many new tourism products have been put into operation, making a great impression on tourists visiting and relaxing, such as: the Sam Son City beach square and festival landscape axis; the outdoor amusement park complex - Sun World Sam Son Park; the pedestrian street combined with souvenir shops, beverage shops, and the display and introduction of OCOP products... In the Hoi port area, Quang Tien ward, the Memorial Area for the people, cadres, soldiers and students from the South who gathered in the North not only beautifies the appearance and landscape of the area, but will also be an attractive destination for tourists, a "red address" for educating about historical and revolutionary traditions, and arousing the awareness and responsibility of the people to contribute.

From the scorching hot sand dunes of summer afternoons to the desolate landscapes of winter, alongside the pristine, year-round clear waters of the open sea, still retaining their original salty taste from the time before the sea was filled in, the Party Committee, government, and people of Sam Son City have strived to create new values, bringing about a strong transformation, especially in the tourism economy.

Halfway through the implementation of the Resolution of the 17th City Party Congress, term 2020-2025, Sam Son City has achieved fairly comprehensive results in all fields. The economy has grown significantly, ranking second in the province in terms of growth rate; the value of production (at current prices) is 1.6 times higher than in 2020; and per capita income ranks third in the province. The economic structure has shifted in the right direction, with the service sector experiencing strong growth in both scale and quality; industry and construction have developed well; and agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production remains basically stable. The city has completed the task of building new rural areas; the investment and business environment continues to improve, with the Provincial Competitiveness Index (DDCI) increasing from 9th place in 2021 to 2nd place. The city continues to be the leading locality in terms of dynamism and the role of the leader with a score of 9.98 points...

Sam Son tourism continues to affirm its brand and position. Revenue and the number of tourists in the city have been increasing year after year. The total number of tourists in the three years (2021-2023) is estimated at 15.8 million. The number of tourists in the city consistently accounts for 65-70% of the total number of tourists in the entire province; tourism revenue in the three years is estimated at 32,365 billion VND, 1.6 times higher than the entire 2016-2020 period. In the first nine months of 2024, the city welcomed 8.58 million tourists, an increase of 11.6% compared to the same period, reaching 100.9% of the plan; the number of tourist days reached 16.8 million days, an increase of 14.6% compared to the same period, reaching 102.1% of the plan. Tourism revenue reached VND 16,482 billion, an increase of 19.7% compared to the same period last year, achieving 104.8% of the plan. During the April 30th and May 1st holidays in 2024 alone, Thanh Hoa ranked first nationwide in terms of tourist numbers. Gradually overcoming the seasonality of beach tourism, the city has been both the host and organizer of a series of events throughout the year. Through cultural, artistic, and sports activities, the city has showcased to the people and domestic and international tourists the positive changes and significant transformations in the urban landscape and the quality of tourism services in Sam Son, with its unique tourism products.

It can be said that, whether in the past, present, or future, Sam Son will always be a special land. A narrow strip of land along the coast, the smallest city in the country, yet possessing a profound history and cultural depth; it is the "locomotive" of tourism in Thanh Hoa province; it is among the top impressive tourist and resort destinations, and was recognized as one of the top 5 tourist areas in Vietnam (in 2017). And the sea has always embraced, protected, and nurtured the dreams and aspirations of the land and people of Sam Son to soar high and reach far.

The vision of a "festival city" brings to mind the heartfelt and responsible sharing of the Chairman of the People's Committee of Sam Son City, Le Van Tu, at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Sea Tourism Festival and the inauguration of the Sea Square and the festival landscape axis of Sam Son City: Leveraging its outstanding potential and advantages, the Party Committee, government, and people of the city are determined to strive to build Sam Son into a civilized and modern coastal tourism city, a safe, attractive, and friendly destination for domestic and international tourists. To successfully achieve this goal, in addition to the attention from the Central Government and the province, Sam Son City has been determined to focus on exploiting and developing the advantages bestowed by nature, attracting domestic and foreign investors to form new international-class entertainment and tourism areas. Focus on building a civilized urban lifestyle and civilized tourism; This fosters a polite, friendly, and hospitable atmosphere, creating a comfortable environment and ensuring visitor satisfaction in Sam Son. The goal is to develop Sam Son into a key national tourism city, contributing to the successful achievement of the objective of making Thanh Hoa a new growth pole in the North of the country.

Huong Thao

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tuong-lai-nbsp-cua-thanh-pho-bien-228372.htm