Ba Ria-Vung Tau developing coastal tourism urban areas

The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau is working to improve its tourism brand and overall experience for visitors, on the back of its advantages like year-long mild and warm climate with beaches, rich and diverse mangrove ecosystems and harmonious tourism infrastructure.

Awakening potential, advantages

According to its master plan for the 2021 – 2030 period with a vision to 2050, Ba Ria-Vung Tau set tourism as one of the five important economic pillars. The planning outlines the direction for developing the driving force of tourism economy in the southeastern coastal area with a chain of tourism urban areas like Vung Tau, Long Hai, Phuoc Hai, Loc An, Ho Tram, Binh Chau, and Con Dao national park.

At present, local tourism infrastructure is progressively improving, in both quality and quantity, with 1,490 lodging facilities offering 30,623 rooms. Of them, nearly 900 hotels have been rated from 1 to 5 stars with 8,522 rooms. There are now 45 domestic and international travel agencies in operation. Premium and well-known brands, both domestically and internationally, have been established and developed, such as The Grand - Ho Tram Strip, Six Senses Con Dao, The Imperial, Pullman, Marina Bay Resort, Malibu, and Melia at the Hampton.

The transport infrastructure is increasingly improving to provide better services to tourists. The province is stepping up digital economy, digital knowledge, and digital data activities to increase labour productivity and optimise tourism promotion, focusing on advertising through domestic and global media. Premium and world-class tourism areas are being shaped in combination with efforts to build a safe and quality tourism environment. Last year, Vung Tau was the only locality in Vietnam recognised to meet the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard twice.

Hoang Vu Thanh, Chairman of the Vung Tau People’s Committee, said the city, along with Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, is investing in improving the quality of beaches. They are continuing to build model beaches and hold various sea tourism and sport events, particularly in the Bai Sau area. In the coming time, the city will persist in exploring and developing local tourism potential, striving to establish Vung Tau as a leading tourist destination in the region and globally.

Living up to status of coastal tourism city
Ba Ria -Vung Tau boasts a chain of three coastal urban areas that play a key role in driving its socio-economic development, namely Vung Tau city, and Long Hai and Phuoc Hai towns. Additionally, the province has Con Dao as a coastal urban area and is now in the process of planning three more others, namely Ho Tram, Binh Chau, and Loc An. It is anticipated that by 2025, Ba Ria - Vung Tau will have a total of seven coastal urban areas.

The province is also investing in upgrading and expanding key road arteries, particularly the DT 994 route linking Phu My township and Binh Chau commune in Xuyen Moc district to create convenience for tourists. By 2030, the local transport system will be completed, connecting four satellite urban areas around coastal tourism projects together.

As of November, the total number of tourist arrivals in the province had reached nearly 14 million, or 99.71% of the annual plan, marking an annual increase of some 22%. The total revenue was estimated at roughly 14.6 trillion VND (608 million USD), higher than the yearly plan by 2.87% and showing a rise of over 30% year on year.

Trinh Hang, Director of the provincial Tourism Department, said the province aims to have at least one model of developing nighttime tourism products in all localities by 2030. There are plans to establish distinct nighttime entertainment complexes in Xuyen Moc and Vung Tau and to develop nighttime tourism products in tourist centres where crowds of visitors gather, toward shaping and developing its nighttime tourism brand./.