Potential to develop sea and island tourism

Phu Yen has been favored with cultural heritages, a 190km-long coastline, and attractive landscapes including the swamps of Cu Mong and O Loan, and Vung Ro Bay. In addition, the province has hot mineral water sources, which offer favorable conditions for the development of medical tourism.

The province has a convenient communication network including National Highways 25 and 29 linking the south central coastal provinces with the Central Highlands. Tuy Hoa Airport can accommodate 747 Boeing aircraft and Vung Ro Bay can receive more than 5,000-tonne cruise ships.

Over the past few years, Phu Yen has focused investment on its socioeconomic development in favor of tourism. Routes linking Tuy Hoa City with some local tourist landscapes including Giant's Causeway, the Bai Mon Area, and Vung Ro Bay have been built and other arteries have also been upgraded. A number of large-scale projects are being expanded including the pedestrianized underground crossing at Deo Ca, Phu Yen Railway Station, and the economic zones of South Phu Yen, Nhan Hoi, and Van Phong.

Phu Yen is now regarded as a national gateway province to the sea for provinces in the Central Highlands as many international border gates have been set up in these provinces including the Bo Y International Border Gate in Kon Tum and the Duc Co International Border Gate in Gia Lai.

Thanks to its rapid infrastructure development in recent years, the number of tourists to the province has increased considerably compared to the country's provincial average. Some travel companies have for the first time offered inter-provincial sea and island tours for both domestic and foreign visitors. Last year, Phu Yen successfully organized a national tourism event on the occasion of its 400th anniversary and celebration of its development.

Long term strategic development

In order to sharpen its spearhead tourism industry and consolidate its key position in the development chain of provinces in the Central Highlands and along the south central coast, Phu Yen Province's People's Committee has approved a VND13.6 trillion project to develop local tourism until 2015 with vision towards 2020. The project will focus on the local tourism master plan, intensive investment in local infrastructure in tourism areas; and will especially call for the private sector to exploit inter-provincial and regional sea and island tourism.

According to the project, Phu Yen will attract more than 850,000 tourists by 2015, with the number of foreign visitors accounting for more than 10 percent of the total with the tourism sector's contribution to the provincial GDP increasing up to 5.7 percent. By 2020, the province anticipates welcoming around 1.8 million tourists, with the sector contributing 7.2 percent to the provincial GDP.

Phu Yen has implemented a series of favorable policies to develop its tourism industry, including tourism incentives and favorable administrative procedures to attract both domestic and foreign investors. In addition, it has also paid attention to training local tourism staff, especially in terms of foreign languages and professional capability.

To date, Phu Yen has attracted around 305,000 visitors, a 5.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year, 20,500 of which were foreign visitors. Total revenues reached VND329.2 billion, a 31.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year.