Off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, Con Dao Island district boasts a strategic location, with many revolutionary and historical relics together with spiritual and ecological attractions. Over the last 10 years, however, visitor numbers are rising rapidly and are expected to hit 300,000 annually by 2030. This creates a series of problems that Con Dao must resolve. According to the Institute for Research and Development of the Circular Economy, at the Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, now is the right time to apply a circular economy in Con Dao district, due to the size of its population and good living standards and the potential and space for the development of renewable energy. Every road needs someone to pave the way, and changing an economic model in a locality is a difficult process. The initial steps in implementing the circular economy in Con Dao Island district reveal the determination of Ba Ria-Vung Tau to boost economic development under the motto “green and sustainable”./.