Quang Nam: Tourism Boom

Quang Nam: Tourism Boom

At a conference in ${bigcity_Hoi_An:"Hoi An"} Town to celebrate Quang Nam’s 15 years of tourism, the province exhibited promising figures in the said sector.
 
According to official data, in the first eight months of 2012 alone, Quang Nam attracted 2.3 million tourists, accumulating VND3 trillion ($143 million) in provincial income. This is a stark improvement to its 1997 earnings of only VND47 billion ($2.2 million). Last year, 2.5 million tourists entered the province to visit such popular destinations as the world heritage site of Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary, and Cham Island Biosphere Reserve.
 
According to Tran Minh Ca, Quang Nam People’s Committee Vice Chairman, the province has “made efforts” in building “charming destinations” to attract more tourists. Travel agencies have made big earnings, contributing positively to the income of Quang Nam. Moreover, Hoi An has established a free wireless internet service for tourists in the Old Quarter.
 
Quang Nam aims to be the center of the tourism industry among the central provinces of Vietnam by 2020. To make way for this, the province has “created the most favorable conditions for investors in tourism,” already attracting 110 tourism projects to date. 80 international standard hotels and resorts (equivalent to 5,000 rooms) have been built by investors, creating 15,000 in the process.
 
Yet despite all these infrastructure and tourism development, Hoi An has meticulously preserved its traditions of cultural values, healthy environment and friendly hospitality. This is the proud statement of Truong Van Bay, Hoi An People’s Committee Vice Chairman. Further according to him, Hoi An has “boosted sustainable development in tourism and promoted environmental protection.” Moreover, Hoi An is planning on building eco-tour sites in the province.
 
To further exert all its efforts in boosting the tourism industry in the province, Quang Nam Provincial People’s Committee has created an agreement with international organizations into making Hoi An and My Son Sanctuary environmentally-friendly tourist destinations.