France helps develop eco-tourism in Thua Thien-Hue

A project on developing eco-tourism in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue was launched on July 4 with the assistance from the

Poitou-Charentes region of France and other partners.

The project, worth over 11 billion VND (517,000 USD), will be implemented in Hue city and mountainous Nam Dong district from now to 2016,

with the aim of helping the locality’s tourism sector develop sustainably, while protecting the environment and promoting local cultural heritage, especially the Hue ancient imperial relic site - a UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage.

Earlier, the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council also funded 500 million VND (23,500 USD) to build a Guol House, a communal house of the Co Tu ethnic minority people, in Thuong Nhat commune, Nam Dong district to provide accommodations for tourists to the area.

Located on a 1,500sq.m land plot, the house was put into use in the beginning of this year.

Besides the ancient imperial city of Hue, Thua Thien-Hue province is attracting visitors for its beautiful natural landscape, such as Lang Co – one of the world’s most 30 beautiful bays, and Tam Giang-Cau Hai lagoon system – the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

More than 1 million tourists visited the province in the first six months of this year, half of them foreigners.

Quang Ngai: sea tourism proves successful

Ly Son island district in the central province of Quang Ngai lured some 16,000 tourist arrivals in the first half of this year, fetching about 19 billion VND (889,000 USD), up 10 percent year-on-year.

Notably, the number of visitors to the island has been rising since early May, with 150-200 a day and 300-400 at weekend.

The outcomes were attributed to the district’s efforts to improve tourism facilities and service quality.

Up to new 10 hotels and tens of restaurants were built on the island, along with hundreds of vehicles standing ready at the service of vacationers.

Domestic and foreign holiday-makers to Ly Son can enjoy their time exploring cultural identities of islanders and historical sites there.

One of the must-see sites on the island is the Hoang Sa exhibition room, where a wide range of valuable documents and exhibits are on display proving Vietnam’s indisputable sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes.

The national historical An Hai and An Vinh communal houses, which house an annual “Le khao le the linh Hoang Sa” (Feast and Commemoration Festival for Hoang Sa Soldiers), and tens of old pagodas are also among destinations favoured by tourists.

VNA