'VnExpress Marathon Quy Nhon has become a tradition of Binh Dinh'

Binh Dinh Provincial leaders consider VM Quy Nhon an important annual event, promoting the tourism industry, especially attracting international visitors.

On June 11, the VnExpress Marathon Sparkling Quy Nhon will take place with a scale of 10,000 athletes. This is the 4th year the tournament has been held in Binh Dinh. Mr. Lam Hai Giang, Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Province, shared his expectations of making VnExpress Marathon Quy Nhon a local brand, creating a premise to attract tourists.

- What advantages does Binh Dinh have in organizing a big race like VnExpress Marathon, sir?

- To promote socio -economic development, Binh Dinh has focused on developing tourism, urban areas and services to the east. We focus on investing in transport infrastructure for this area.

One of the important coastal road projects, more than 115 km long, with a total investment of more than 9,000 billion VND, started construction at the end of 2019. This route runs parallel to National Highway 1, from Quy Nhon city to Hoai Nhon town. The province plans to build entertainment and tourism areas on the east side of the road.

When coordinating with the VnExpress Marathon Organizing Committee to organize the first race in 2019, we basically completed the infrastructure. Runners were able to stride across Nhon Hoi - once the longest sea-crossing bridge in Vietnam when it was inaugurated. Other roads in Quy Nhon city were also expanded and paved with flat asphalt. These are the basic conditions for a marathon as required by the Organizing Committee.

Mr. Lam Hai Giang, Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Province. Photo: Pham Linh — Mr. Lam Hai Giang, Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh Province. Photo: *Pham Linh*

- What is the significance of organizing VnExpress Marathon and coastal sports tournaments to Binh Dinh?

- We are very interested in developing new tourism products with potential such as sports tourism, developing traditional martial arts sports tourism, golf tourism, cross-country running, beach volleyball... VnExpress Marathon is the biggest effort in promoting coastal sports.

In recent times, in addition to VnExpress Marathon Quy Nhon, the province has organized beach volleyball, beach handball, golf, and other sea adventure sports, attracting the participation of thousands of athletes. Tens of thousands of domestic and international visitors have come, making an important contribution to the local tourism economy.

- Binh Dinh is famous for its martial arts tradition, can new sports like marathon develop into the province's brand?

- The martial arts tradition in Binh Dinh is known throughout the country with 385 athletes. To develop the sports movement, we organize about 12-15 tournaments every year. Marathons are easily accessible to many people, so the movement is developing very strongly among officials and people. I once shared my desire to make the VnExpress Marathon Quy Nhon a unique brand of the province, so that when mentioning Quy Nhon, people will mention running.

After 4 seasons, I believe the tournament has created a good image of sports combined with tourism in the eyes of athletes and tourists. Every year, we welcome about 10,000 participants and tens of thousands of relatives and tourists during the week of VnExpress Marathon.

Through that, we organize many activities to promote tourism, people and culture of Binh Dinh. The success of the tournament has contributed significantly to the development of tourism, economy and society of the province. It can be said that VnExpress Marathon has become a traditional tournament of Binh Dinh sports industry.

Thousands of athletes filled the streets of Quy Nhon city center on the competition day. Photo: VM

- How did the athletes spread the image of Quy Nhon and Binh Dinh?

- We call each athlete a tourism ambassador. The race has made a very important contribution to stimulating tourism. Quy Nhon with its rich natural landscape, an attractive destination for eco-tourism and relaxation is spread very well through the image of the athletes.

During the event, the province also prepared facilities, service personnel, and a separate discount book. Specialized departments increased their time at the tourist information desk at Phu Cat airport to provide advice, answer questions, guide tourists on how to use QR codes, use smart travel apps, and travel advice leaflets...

The Tourism Association builds new and attractive tourism products and programs to create attraction and attract more and more domestic and foreign tourists to Binh Dinh... In particular, we direct the inspection and handling of the situation of overcharging tourists. If done well, the rate of returning visitors will be higher, making tourism one of the key economic sectors.

- How are the preparations for the VnExpress Marathon Quy Nhon 2023 going?

- This year, Quy Nhon will welcome a large number of athletes, expected to be more than last year, so the preparation and organization need to be more professional. We will promote the communication about the tournament to every citizen and tourist on the main roads in the city and at the train stations and airports of the province.

Regarding security, medical staff and volunteers this year are also more arranged than in previous years. Medical stations are arranged in important places. The health sector has selected highly specialized doctors and nurses to be on duty and respond promptly.

Regarding traffic flow, the Department of Transport coordinates with the Provincial Police to ensure absolute safety during the tournament. The policy is to prioritize athletes but not affect the daily lives of people.

The Department of Tourism will provide a list of hotels, entertainment venues, and tours in the province to promote for athletes to refer to. The province will send specialized units to regularly inspect accommodation services, resorts, motels, hotels, etc. to support price stabilization for athletes attending the tournament.

Pham Linh

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