A big sandy beach in Bay Canh islet, Con Dao National Park. Photo: VNA Pham Viet Thanh, Secretary of the provincial PartyCommittee, said the key task is to form a free trade zone associated with a deep-waterseaport in Cai Mep Ha area and develop the province into a world-classhigh-quality tourism center following the Politburo’s Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW.
Ba Ria-Vung Tau has a system of deep-water seaports spanningnearly 20km which is classified as a national special one and servesas a gateway to the East Sea of the southern region. The local Cai Mep-ThiVai is now the only port cluster in Vietnam that accommodates ships carrying containersdirectly to Europe and America without transshipment through a third country.
The formation of Cai Mep Ha free trade zone in associationwith the 300km East-West urban-industrial corridor will create an outstandingcomparative advantage of Vietnam with other countries in the Southeast Asianregion in particular and the world in general given a new stage of development.It will also help develop Ba Ria-Vung Tau into a national marine economiccenter.
The province, meanwhile, boats strength and potential tobecome a quality tourism and resort centre of international standard. It has acoastline spanning some 300km and the Con Dao national park, which was internationallyrecognised as Vietnam’s first ever sea Ramsar site. The park is home to 1,077species of vascular plants, 155 species of fauna, and one of the richest andmost diverse coral reefs in the country. National historical and cultural relicsites coupled with many traditional festivals of coastal people also make the provinceattractive to visitors.
Trung Nhi Express departed at 8am on March 4 from Vung Tau city. Photo: VNA Thanh said the province has identified tourism developmentas one of its important economic pillars toward becoming a high quality,world-class tourism hub. Currently, the local tourism activities mainly take place on the Vung Tau - Long Hai - Phuoc Hai - Binh Chau national tourist areas as well as on ConDao island.
The 16-island archipelago of Con Dao is located 180km fromVung Tau city, and about 230km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. It has a landarea of nearly 6,000ha and a water surface of 14,000ha.
It is well known for beaches with white sand, deep bluewater and colorful coral reefs. French colonialists and the Americans turnedthe island into a prison to jail Vietnamese revolutionary soldiers in wartime.The facility has attracted many local and foreign visitors in recent years./.
VNA
