Opportunities for tourism

The expansion of space with many new destinations promises to open up opportunities for Hue tourism to develop, to create products to meet customers’ needs and counterbalance heritage tourism. Mr. Dinh Manh Thang, Vice Chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association, Chairman of Thua Thien Hue Tourism Association, said

Mr. Dinh Manh Thang, Vice Chairman of Vietnam Tourism Association and Chairman of Provincial Tourism Association

The expansion of Hue City area marks a new stage, offering development opportunities for all the socio-economic sectors in general and tourism in particular.

Particularly for the tourism industry, 5 opportunities will be opened up when the city is expanded. First of all, the expansion of city space is accompanied by that of tourism space.

Second, once Hue becomes an urban area, the resources for infrastructure investment will be further prioritized to be commensurate with the city development whereby the connection with tourist attractions becomes more favorable.

Third, the attractions and tourism products in districts and towns, which have long been fragmented, will have the opportunity to attract tourists based on investments and better connection whereby Hue tourism products will be more plentiful.

Fourth, the city area expansion makes it easier for new tourist attractions to attract investment; the infrastructure develops and confidence in development will also be greater. For example, the tourist destinations of Pu Chá and Chuon Lagoon, which have long been located within the boundaries of the district and town, and now become cities, investors will surely believe in the high profitability of investment and the easy attraction of tourists for products.

The fifth opportunity is that the city expansion compels the authorities to be bigger and stronger, the tourism management and development cooperation of the localities and departments to be better.

Opportunities always go hand in hand with challenges, so what are the obstacles to the tourism sector when the city is expanded, sir?

The time for Hue City expansion is not long. Phase 1 lasts only 5 years for good infrastructure, facilities, transportation ... to pave the way for phase 2 of making a breakthrough.

Therefore, there should be the resources to invest, especially infrastructure, connection of tourist attractions. There should be a mechanism and policy to attract investment in general and in tourism in particular.

For example, when Rù Chá is upgraded to a city, investors want to know whether or not the land rent is the same as it was a previous district border, which should also be taken into account to provide an appropriate mechanism.

What do you think should be done to overcome these difficulties?

The master planning cannot be divorced from tourism planning and other plans. All the sectors should join in to develop a unified plan, avoiding obstacles when there is not yet the linkage among the sectors.

Hue City will be expanded fivefold in the future (Hue City Center viewed from above)

In this plan, the regulations on density and infrastructure are required. The strengths of each area should be studied to bring into play its strengths.

For example, towards the sea, the focus should be on the sites with tourism strengths. There is a need to make specific plans on construction, transport infrastructure connection and priority products of lagoon, sea and resort.

An important factor is to attract investors. Hue City will definitely not develop itself without investors. For example, in recent years, the development of Quang Ninh and Da Nang has been attributed to foreign investors and large groups. Therefore, the new city must provide a mechanism to attract big investors such as Vingroup, BRG, Sungroup, FLC seen as the leading lights. In this way, the expanded city will have more potential and motivation for development.

He talked about the fan-shaped development. Could you tell me more about this issue?

The identification of strengths of key areas for development is of crucial importance. Focusing on development on both sides of the Huong River is right. Also, Hue City should be developed like a fan with the current Hue Imperial City seen as the center. The area for fan-shaped development is towards the airport and the sea.

The development of new destinations is inseparable from airports and marine tourism products. Therefore, Hue needs to study and establish three major routes in order to better connect these three destinations and render the passenger movement more favorable.

The current city center and the Huong River upstream need to keep intact to preserve heritage and culture. The development direction will be the heritage city associated with landscapes and tourist attractions.

As the urban space is expanded, what can Hue's new tourism products be, sir?

Hue is saturated with cultural heritage and lacks the products the market needs: places of entertainment, resorts, sea tours, vibrant life to experience, cultural diversity, landscapes...

With the potential Hue has when expanded and to satisfy tourists’ needs, apart from heritage tourism, Hue needs to develop tourism in association with lagoons, coastal resorts, systems of golf courses, entertainment, sea recreation, sport tourism.…

Hue City will also be closer to Cau Hai Swamp, Tam Giang Lagoon and Vinh Thanh and Vinh Xuan resorts. Forming this product chain will raise Hue’s position in attracting tourists, increase tourists’ expenditure and, more importantly, prolong their length of stay in Hue.

Thank you.

Story and photos: Đuc Quang