Southeast region focuses on developing tourism

According to the general planning to develop the southeast region's economy until 2020, the region will welcome about 15 and 18 million visitors, including four and five million international visitors by 2015 and 2020 with tourism revenues of US$3 billion and US$5 billion respectively.
To achieve the goal, experts in the tourism sector said that it was necessary to cooperate in order to create diverse and unique tourism products, leading to the sustainable development of the tourism sector.
The southeast region has potential to develop historical, ecological and resort tourisms with many famous landscapes, such as Dai Tong Lam Pagoda, Ho Coc tourist area, Tau Khong So monument on the Ray River, Tan Trieu grapefruit village, Ba Den and Ba Ra mountain, Dai Nam tourist area and Bu Gia Map National Park. However, experts in the tourism sector said that tourism in the region was not commensurate with potential and tourism products did not create its brands. In particular, major destinations for tourists only concentrated in HCMC and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, leading to the asynchronous situation among localities. In addition, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh and Binh Phuoc provinces have not invested in infrastructure to develop tourism.
Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies Associate Professor, Dr. Truong Quoc Binh when speaking at the investment promotion conference said that environmental factor can make the attraction and beneficial value for tourism activities. Therefore, tourism development programs have to respect the protection of natural environment and social environment. In addition, localities in the southeast region need to strengthen cooperation in the field of tourism development with key tourism projects in order to exploit the potential; focus on investment in infrastructure and new tourism products; develop key tourism routes connecting southeast provinces to the country and tourism routes to Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.
In terms of Binh Phuoc Province, due to Binh Phuoc tourism development planning, total number of visitors reaches 252,000 by 2015, including 14,000 international visitors with average growth rate in the 2011-2015 period of 22.2 percent. To achieve the goal, Binh Phuoc Province needs to focus on investment in tourism development associated with cultural values conservation and promotion, landscape preservation and environmental protection. Truong Quoc Binh also said that Binh Phuoc must focus on constructing infrastructure and implementing tourism development investment projects; mobilizing social resources through strengthening the effectiveness of the association between the public sector and the private sector; and attracting domestic and international investment. In addition, Binh Phuoc has potential in terms of eco-tourism development due to 5F+1S model. 5F stands for rare fauna, rare flora, fresh air, unique folklore and friendship and 1S stands for shopping. Institute for Tourism Development Research Director Ha Van Sieu said that the province can take advantage of strengths to exploit Cambodian market and international markets. In addition, Binh Phuoc can develop MICE tourism due to the province's favorable location.
Dong Nai Tourism Promotion Center Director Vo Thi Thu Trang said that to promote tourism potential in order to contribute to the province's socioeconomic development, the expansion of regional association in the tourism development is urgent. In particular, Dong Nai will cooperate with Binh Phuoc and provinces in the southeast region to develop tourism, contributing to the economic growth towards development and integration.