Kien Giang: Island district calls for US$10 million investment in tourism

Kien Hai island district in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang wants investment of more than VND230 billion (US$10.12 million) in several new projects to boost its tourism industry.

According to Secretary of the district Party’s Committee Ong Van Ngay, Kien Hai will focus on making tourism a spearhead industry this year to tap its huge maritime potential. To this end, the district will work to tackle barriers to infrastructure development in transportation, electricity and water supply, and to investment attraction to local key projects.

The district is urging firms to invest in Bai Bo, Bai Cay Men Lon and Ba Hon Nom resort complexes and Nam Du sea encroachment urban area, Ngay said.

It also wants investors to continue developing tourism services in the complexes of Bai Cay Men and Bai Dat Do in An Son and Hon Mau in Nam Du, Ngay noted, adding that these complexes will provide a variety of tourism products, including eco and community-based tours, and coral reef sightseeing tours, and to develop fish farming in tandem with tourism.

The district plans to mobilise resources to develop infrastructure in Lai Son, An Son and Nam Du islands and fast-track key infrastructure projects like Bai Nha reservoir and a market in Lai Son commune, Bai Cay Men reservoir and a shopping centre in An Son commune and Hon Tre sea encroachment project.

At the same, environmental and natural resource management will be strengthened with a focus on management of freshwater supply in islands while the district will raise people’s awareness of environmental sanitation, especially waste treatment in residential areas.

Kien Hai, among two island districts of Kien Giang, consists of four communes – Hon Tre, Lai Son, An Son and Nam Du with a total area of 2,460 hectares and population of more than 20,350 people.

The island is blessed with crystal blue sea, pristine beaches and large primeval forests and is renowned for its production of fish sauces.

Kien Hai has seen a rise in tourist arrivals over the past few years. In 2017, the district welcomed more than 194,290 holidaymakers, up 71.5% from 2016, earning total revenue of more than VND200 billion (US$8.8 million).

About 26,000 tourists visited the district in the first two months of 2018, a year-on-year increase of 13.8 percent, with Lai Son, An Du and Nam Son the most popular destinations.

VNA