A tourist route linking Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Thuan and PhuQuy island is likely under development following a familiarisation tripfor tour operators and related media experts to the south centralcoastal province of Binh Thuan from May 28-31.

They visited popular attractions, such as the Mui Ne sand dunes, the HamTien resort capital, and the wine castle and islets of Phu Quy island,testing accommodation and dining services in hotels and luxury resorts.

During a working session, the provincial TourismAssociation informed the delegation that the locality welcomed 3.8million guests in 2014, with international tourists accounting for 12percent. All in all, tourism generated 6 trillion VND (285 million USD)in revenue.

In the first quarter of this year, over1 million tourists arrived in Binh Thuan, up by 6 percent year on year,earning the province around 2 trillion VND (95.2 million USD), a 8.72percent rise on a yearly basis.

The main touristroute in the region is triangular and includes Saigon market, Da Latflower gardens and Mui Ne beach, as well as the traditional festivals ofNghinh Ong (whale worshipping) and Kate, the association said.

The delegation suggested offering free pick-up services at train andbus stations, maintaining vegetation surrounding hotels and resorts, andimproving staff quality.

Binh Thuan is currentlyhome to 271 places of accommodation in 10,400 rooms. Out of these 271,172 are accredited and three achieved the five-star standard.

The locality is home to 44 travel agencies, including six outbound tour operators.-VNA