How has the Action Plan for Binh Dinh provincial tourism development in the period 2006-2010 been implemented? Recently, Binh Dinh newspaper reporter recorded some ideas of representatives from appropriate authorities.

Mr Pham Vinh Sau – Director of Finance Department:

Clearly, Binh Dinh tourism is at the planning stage. The infrastructure for tourism is still antiquated. There hasn't been any well-invested tourist sites yet. Products and services for tourism as a whole are not diversified. Stay service is fairly well, but the services of the restaurants do not meet the requirement. The statistics showed that the number of tourists coming to Binh Dinh is rather high, but not real. We, therefore, need to have concrete plans, concentrate on building the infrastructure and make a breakthrough in building tourist zones and sites. There should be an agency which supervises the building. The most important thing is to attract investors to build tourism facilities because tourism products help tourism activities develop. Besides, the advertising must fix what our province have to create the trust of visitors and tourist agencies.

Mr Nguyen Minh Tam – Vice Director of  Department of Planning and Investment

Based on the Action Plan for Binh Dinh provincial tourism development, we estimate that the mere turnover of the provincial tourism will be 9,000 billion VND up to the year 2010. Such a turnover is unreal and needs to be reconsidered. The tourism of our province is only better than of Quang Ngai province when compared with other provinces in the central key economic region. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly define the position and development trend of our provincial tourism to make an appropriate development plan. 

Our province lacks tourism products and tourist sites, so foreign tourists visit Binh Dinh province only once and never return. Our tourism needs to check the competence of the staff, then compare with those of some tourist-developed provinces in the region to make the training plans. Besides, it is important to consider the development plans of other industries to avoid the coincidence, for example the development of tourism and aquiculture. In the short term, the provincial tourism doesn’t need huge tourist sites, but must have distinctive features to attract tourists. It is also necessary to hasten the project which plans to develop Binh Dinh tourism to key national tourism province… We propose that Vinh Thanh district has many tourism potentials such as: Nguyen Hue orange garden, Vinh Son hydroelectric plant, Dinh Binh irrigational lake, brocade weave…This district deserves to be added to the key tourism route of Binh Dinh province.                      

Mr Vo Van Chien - Vice Director of Department of Home Affairs

We acknowledged the efforts of the our provincial tourism. In my opinion, to assess the progress of the Action Plan for Binh Dinh province tourism development, we need to know well what we did, what we could not do and why, how far the tourism department and other related agencies are responsible for it, and the possibility of achieving the 2010 goals, whether 2010 goals are too high, which matter we should propose to supplement to make the Action Plan for Binh Dinh province tourism development more appropriate. We also need to notice that our provincial Tourism Department has just separated from Department of Tourism and Trade, so the organizational machinery of Tourism Department is not stable. Binh Dinh provincial Department of Home Affairs will ensure the personnel and the positions in the Tourism Department so that it can operate better. The Department of Home Affairs will support the more suitable personnel arrangement of Tourism Department. Department of Home Affairs and Tourism Department will also guide the local areas to appoint the staff who is responsible for tourism activities so that these areas can be better joined in the Action Plan for Binh Dinh provincial tourism development.

Mr Le Huu Cu – Director of Tourism Department

The tourism Department hasn't been aware of the tourism investment projects because the department haven't been alloted. Up to now, no departments or services is responsible for tourism investment projects. The Department of Planning and Investment grants permits for projects, but no bodies or agencies supervises and speeds up the implement of them. If such a management is not changed, the infrastruture for the tourism can not be developed. This year, the Tourism Department is allocated to conduct only 3 tourism projects. They are key national tourism, Vung Chua-Xuan Van area and It Cake Tower (Silver Tower). Other projects and the investment capital for tourism-related activities are allocated to other departments and agencies.

We think that the Action Plan for Binh Dinh provincial tourism development which is a  crystallization of mind of many departments, shouldn't be adjusted because it was implemented only in 9 months. It is better to make adjustment when the Plan has been implemented for at least 2 years.

• Reported by Bui Loi

• Translated by Ngoc Tu