Vietnam's Hanoi-HCM City-Binh Thuan tourist route expected

A tourist route linking Vietnam's Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Thuan and Phu Quy island is likely under development following a familiarization trip for tour operators and media experts to the south central coastal province of Binh Thuan from May 28-31, Vietnam News Agency reported Saturday.

They visited popular attractions, such as the Mui Ne sand dunes, the Ham Tien resort capital, and the wine castle and islets of Phu Quy island, testing accommodation and dining services in hotels and luxury resorts.

During a working session, the provincial Tourism Association informed the delegation that the locality welcomed 3.8 million visitors in 2014, with international tourists accounting for 12 percent. All in all, tourism generated 6 trillion Vietnamese dong (276.5 million U.S. dollars) in revenue.

In the first quarter of this year, over 1 million tourists arrived in Binh Thuan, up 6 percent on-year, earning the province around 2 trillion Vietnamese dong (92.2 million U.S. dollars), up 8.7 percent.

The main tourist route in the region is triangular and includes Saigon market, Da Lat flower gardens and Mui Ne beach, as well as the traditional festivals of Nghinh Ong (whale worshipping) and Kate, the association said.

Binh Thuan is home to 271 places of accommodation with total 10, 400 rooms. Out of these, 271,172 are accredited and three achieved the five-star standard. It also houses 44 travel agencies, including six outbound tour operators. Endi