Overview of the workshop

The event was jointly organised by the People’s Committees of Quang Ngai province and the island district of Ly Son as one activity on the occasion of the Viet Nam Sea and Islands Week.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dang Ngoc Dung highlighted the historical and cultural values of Ly Son island, which is home to three cultures of Sa Huynh, Champa and Viet with numerous relic sites in in Oc hamlet, Chinh spring, Gieng Tien crater, Hang pagoda, An Vinh communal house, among others.

The island also preserves historical proof of Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes. Besides, Ly Son boasts unique geographic conditions which are highly valued by researchers.

These are the factors boosting the development of cultural tourism in the island, Dung added.

He said the workshop provided a much-needed opportunity for the locality to review its tourism development over the past years, and set out orientations for tourism development in the coming time.

It also helps the island connect with other tourism destinations in the region and attract investment in new tourism products, thus creating a new momentum for the tourism sector of the district in particular and Quang Ngai province in general.

Participants suggested Ly Son district design detailed plans on preserving the environment and natural landscape along with historical and cultural heritage, while building tourism products unique to the island based on local advantages.

In 2015, Ly Son island district received 45,000 tourists, compared to just 2,000 in 2007. In the first eight months of 2017, Ly Son welcomed over 210,000 arrivals.

The locality targets to become a national tourism destination, with tourism serving as the spearhead of the district’s economy by 2020.