The Grand Ho Tram Strip drives tourism with sports

Last week at a conference in Danang, the integrated resort and casino shared its experiences promoting tourism through sports at the Ho Tram Open. The event – which was broadcast to 100 million households – was the most-watched sports event Vietnam has ever hosted.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s International Conference on Tourism and Sports, held from September 23 to 25, discussed the inter-connection between tourism and sports and their contribution to sustainable socio-economic development in Asia-Pacific countries. Leading a panel discussion that included some of Asia’s leading sports and tourism authorities,

“We brought the eyes of the world to the beauty of Vietnam,” The Grand Ho Tram Strip’s senior advisor to the chairman, Pham Quang Vinh said of the Asian Tour event. “We had players from around the world, who had never even considered Vietnam to be on the map of world sport tourism, offer nothing but praise for the incredible facilities we have at The Grand Ho Tram Strip, and for the warm and welcoming reception that they received from everyone they met in Vietnam.”

Tourism accounted for 6.6 per cent of Vietnam’s GDP in 2015. At the national conference on tourism development held in Hoi An in August, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he wanted this figure to reach 10 per cent.

Michael Kelly, executive chairman of The Grand Ho Tram Strip, said the company takes this 10 per cent target as a guideline in setting their own growth targets.

“It was an honour to highlight the successes of our Ho Tram Open to delegates from the region. With over $1 billion in deployed and committed investment capital to date, we are the largest international investor in Vietnam’s tourism history, and uniquely qualified to present our case,” he said.

With $4.2 billion in the total investment capital earmarked, The Grand Ho Tram Strip is now the largest US private equity investment in Vietnam. The first phase of the five-star resort, located on Ho Tram Strip in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, opened in July 2013 with 541 rooms. The first residential component of The Grand Ho Tram Strip, Gallery Villas, was launched in March. The second hotel tower – with 599 rooms and amenities – and more residential towers are planned for the future.

In September, Ho Tram Project Company Limited, the operator of The Grand Ho Tram Strip, received in-principle approval from the Ba Ria-Vung Tau People’s Committee to build a specialised airport in Loc An commune to transport tourists to the complex.