Hiden Charms

Phu Yen is endowed with bountiful natural resources, which underpin the development of tourism. Tourism is a key sector set to spearhead the provincial growth plans.

The province’s tourism potential is based on its natural and cultural resources. Phu Yen boasts diverse terrains, including islands, mountains, plateaus and coastline, with streams, lakes and waterfalls.

According to the Dr. Ha Van Sieu of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Institute for Tourism Development Research, compared to other central coastal locations Phu Yen possesses a system of distinctive, stunning beaches. Local beaches feature amazing views with the sea and mountains blending harmoniously. White, smooth sand dunes, crystal blue sea water and calm waves are ideal for vacation.

The province’s system of islets, islands, rock fields, lagoons and bays is unique, with the most famous ones being Xuan Dai bay, O Loan lagoon, Ganh Da Dia (Da Dia Cliff), Hon Chua and Hon Lao Mai Nha. Phu Yen is also home to several hundred relics, including 18 nationally recognised historical, cultural, art, archeological and architectural sites and natural charms. Local feasts, villages and authentic foods are also valuable to tourism development.

“Phu Yen’s tourism potential is rich, but it has yet to be effectively realised. In the context of international integration, each region and locality needs to create a one-off brand, strong enough to appeal to visitors. We need to convert natural advantages and potential into social-economic development and efficiency through promoting links among provinces and businesses,” Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said.

Phu Yen is an important stopover in the south-central coast and a crucial link in Vietnam’s sea and island tours. The province may become a new gateway to the Eastern Sea and the Central Highlands, southern Laos and Northeastern Thailand.

Through the province’s overall social-economic development plan to 2020, Phu Yen is striving to become a big tourism and services hub in the region and the country as a whole.

The provincial Party Committee has devised Phu Yen’s tourism development goals to 2015 and looked beyond to 2020. Accordingly, constant efforts will be made to turn provincial tourism into a front-line economic sector, turning Phu Yen into a magnificent tourism and services centre. It will also become an important venue in terms of regional links, connecting the Central Highlands with the south-central coastal provinces, thus promoting provincial economic structure transformation.  
Scores of infrastructure facilities, natural charms and relic sites contribute to attracting ever more visitors to Phu Yen. At the time of writing, the province was set to reach its visitor target for 2012 having already recorded 500,000 visitors.

Despite continuing hardships in 2012, the province has welcomed several investors in search of development opportunities in the tourism area. Phu Yen is now home to 35 tourism and services projects, including 12 foreign direct investment projects. Among them,  New City Vietnam Co.Ltd from Brunei is clearing site for a $4.3 billion tourism complex.

“A number of investors could not come up with their projects on the back of the economic slump, both at home and abroad. Among them are those with good will who are still doing relevant administrative procedures for their project’s launch,” said Phu Yen Investment Promotion Centre director cum deputy director of Phu Yen Department of Planning and Investment, Le Van Vu. He added that if there were no big changes some projects will kick off in 2013, including the Bai Nom eco resort, the Mat Troi Vang resort in Song Cau town, and the Long Thuy water park and ocean tourism complex in Tuy Hoa city.

In 2012, the provincial culture, sports and tourism sector and travel firms ramped up efforts to source cooperative opportunities with businesses outside the province. Accordingly, Phu Yen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and businesses based in the province took part in two international trade and tourism fairs and hosted two promotions in three Central Highlands’ provinces (Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Kon Tum) and Ho Chi Minh City.

“These trips paid dividends, shown by the growing number of visitors to Phu Yen province. Another piece of good news is that provincial businesses have cultivated good ties with regional partners to fuel tourism development,” said Phu Yen Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism deputy director Pham Van Bay.

Recently, a group of Ho Chi Minh City-based travel firms of the Vietnam Tourism Forum (VTF) teamed up with Tuy Hoa Tourism-Services Company Limited and Phu Yen Culture-Tourism Promotion Centre to survey the possibility of familiarisation-trips in early 2013.

Phu Yen tourism development relies heavily on the progress of tourism projects in the province.

Last year marked the launch of several big FDI projects in the province after finalising relevant investment procedures.

Phu Yen currently hosts 40 FDI projects worth more than $6.4 billion in total committed capital, including 10 projects in services and tourism. Most significant among them are Phu Yen  Project High Grade Tourism Complex, Vung Ro oil refinery, and Hon Nua eco resort, which will shortly complete investment procedures. Some other projects have begun, such as the Hon Ngoc eco resort, the second-phase of the Bai Tram, Sao Viet eco resort and a project planting ornamental trees for export.