Cua Lo needs more new developments...
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, to transform the appearance of Cua Lo beach town, the Party Committee and the town government have organized and implemented "renovations." Cua Lo beach town has now become integrated into Vinh City, carrying with it the hope for continued positive developments…
Nhat Lan • March 3, 2025
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, to transform the appearance of Cua Lo beach town, the Party Committee and the town government have organized and implemented "renovations." Cua Lo beach town has now become integrated into Vinh City, carrying with it the hope for continued positive developments…
The most talked-about "renovation" in Cua Lo beach town is the demolition of 209 kiosks and stalls that had been operating for many years in the forest park east of Binh Minh road. Anyone who visited Cua Lo beach three years ago will surely remember that, at that time, standing on Binh Minh road and looking towards the sea, there were countless old, makeshift stalls and kiosks of all kinds. With the determination to build Cua Lo beach to meet the requirements of being "modern, unique, distinctive, friendly, and economically efficient," as set out in Decision No. 362/QD-UBND dated February 2, 2020, the entire political system of the former Cua Lo town decided to demolish these stalls and kiosks in 2021 to create a more open, nature-friendly, and attractive space for tourists – a groundbreaking step in transforming the urban landscape.
As the Head of the Mass Mobilization Department of the Cua Lo Town Party Committee at that time, Vice Chairman of the Vinh City People's Committee Nguyen Quang Tieu recalled that after the 2022 tourist season ended, the entire political system of Cua Lo began to get involved. At that time, no one doing business in the forest park area east of Binh Minh road was unaware of the goal of clearing the stalls and kiosks on the beach, and knew that the common good included their own interests. However, everyone was hesitant to change, especially the business environment. Therefore, they found every way to delay and not comply with the policy, even submitting petitions and complaints to higher authorities, which was extremely complicated.
A major propaganda campaign was subsequently implemented by the Party Committee and the government of the former Cua Lo town. First, it required cadres and Party members in the area to take the lead and set an example, taking responsibility for persuading their relatives doing business on the beach to seriously comply with the general policy, creating an initial shift. Party committees, governments, and socio-political organizations at the ward level met with each business household in their ward to inform them, clarify the general policy, and listen to their suggestions in order to explain, propagate, and persuade them. The town's Party committee and government researched and proposed solutions to help business households find suitable locations after relocation so they could quickly stabilize, and organized forces to help them dismantle and move materials and equipment from their stalls and kiosks…
At the same time, the heads of Party committees and local authorities were assigned to directly engage in dialogue with business households in the wards, further clarifying the objectives of the demolition, disseminating information, and persuading households to comply. Through various means, the significance of the demolition work was spread to the people throughout the town, creating consensus and support. With extensive campaigning and propaganda, and the implementation of many flexible solutions, by the morning of September 21, 2022, some households had taken the lead in dismantling their kiosks; and by the end of October 2022, 209 shops and kiosks had been demolished, the forest park area east of Binh Minh road was cleared, and Cua Lo beach was restored to its original natural landscape…
In 2023 and 2024, Cua Lo beachfront witnessed many new and equally vibrant developments. These included the "modernization" of four-wheeled electric vehicles; the upgrading of Binh Minh road and many other inner-city roads; the beautification and improvement of the green, clean, and beautiful environment, creating focal points in the park east of Binh Minh road, within the urban area, and in the hotel and restaurant system; and the establishment of codes of conduct for business and service activities…
According to Nguyen Quang Tieu, Vice Chairman of the Vinh City People's Committee, in 2010, the Provincial People's Committee allowed the former Cua Lo town to pilot the operation of four-wheeled electric vehicles. The introduction of this service met the needs of tourists, facilitating sightseeing and the enjoyment of scenic spots and traditional craft villages throughout the area. However, after a period of operation, most of the four-wheeled electric vehicles became old, outdated, and did not meet the standards for tourism service. Furthermore, partly due to a lack of attention to state management in this field, the operation of four-wheeled electric vehicles has given rise to many significant problems. Recognizing this as a major issue, the Party Committee and government of Cua Lo town are highly determined to succeed.
“For households operating four-wheeled electric vehicles, making the change is a real challenge due to the significant investment required. Therefore, they find all sorts of excuses to avoid compliance, and at times, large crowds have gathered, making the atmosphere in Cua Lo beach town hotter than ever. Nevertheless, through various forms of propaganda and persuasion from the entire political system, all old four-wheeled electric vehicles have been replaced with new, modern models, contributing to beautifying the coastal city and creating a positive impression on tourists…” – Mr. Nguyen Quang Tieu explained.
Regarding the changes in the coastal town of Cua Lo, according to Mr. Nguyen Dam Thang - Director of Minh Chau Cua Lo Hotel, the Party Committee and government of Cua Lo town have made great efforts to ensure that Cua Lo beach is now unobstructed after decades of hundreds of kiosks blocking the view. Simultaneously, they have invested in building many new major and branch roads, and organized urban beautification to improve the town's appearance. In addition, state management of service activities such as hotels, restaurants, and especially electric vehicle operations has received significant attention, leading to these activities becoming more organized and improving service quality, making Cua Lo more attractive to tourists. Thanks to this, along with the Vinpearl Group's launch of the VinWonders Cua Hoi project, the number of tourists visiting Cua Lo in the 2024 tourist season has increased dramatically.
However, according to Mr. Nguyen Dam Thang's assessment, Cua Lo beach is a valuable natural resource, but it has not yet received adequate investment. For example, the eastern part of the forest park along Binh Minh road, although now open, still lacks smooth traffic flow due to incomplete land clearance. Within the forest park, there is still one house, several hotels and guesthouses, and the beach area, part of a long-planned golf course project, remains undeveloped. This leads to a lack of uniformity and significantly impacts the beach's aesthetics. Similarly, on the western side of Binh Minh road, there are still many hotels, restaurants, and kiosks built years ago, with dilapidated and damaged infrastructure that has not been upgraded, greatly affecting the overall tourism development of Cua Lo beach.
Mr. Nguyen Dam Thang said: “I have traveled to many places, but few beaches can compare to Cua Lo. However, for Cua Lo coastal town to be attractive to tourists, it needs continued strong attention. For hotels and restaurants that are dilapidated but have not yet received investment for renovation and upgrading, the relevant authorities should take action to ensure they are responsible and cooperate in proportion to the State's investment in public service facilities. On the eastern side of Binh Minh road, seamless connectivity and investment are needed. Only by doing so can Cua Lo coastal town be elevated to a higher level, and beach tourism can be developed…”
Sharing a similar perspective with Mr. Nguyen Dam Thang, in an interview with a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper, the Chairman of Nghi Thu Ward People's Committee, Cao Anh Hung, recalled the period when the entire political system of the ward worked diligently to clear 56 restaurants and kiosks located in the forest park area east of Binh Minh road, organizing environmental improvement and urban beautification activities... thereby contributing to creating a beautiful beach. However, Mr. Cao Anh Hung also expressed concern about the remaining problems on both the east and west sides of Binh Minh road. The Chairman of Nghi Thu Ward People's Committee is particularly concerned about tourist accommodation facilities, noting that many establishments on the west side of Binh Minh road have deteriorated and become outdated due to their age. According to him, in recent years, especially in 2024, Cua Lo town has implemented a project to upgrade tourist accommodation facilities; however, many hotels and guesthouses belonging to state agencies have deteriorated but remain indifferent to investing in upgrades.
Mr. Cao Anh Hung stated: “Cua Lo is now part of Vinh City and one of the province's tourism centers. Currently, the number of tourists visiting Cua Lo has increased significantly, with a surge in 2024. Therefore, it requires attention and involvement from higher authorities so that the relevant agencies in charge of accommodation systems can invest in upgrading the area. Furthermore, we hope that higher authorities will attract truly capable investors to implement the planning for the East Forest Park along Binh Minh Road, and that there will be policies and mechanisms to stimulate tourism development, so that Cua Lo can truly become a tourism center of significant stature.”
Observing the situation on both the east and west sides of Binh Minh Road, it's easy to see the "blemishes." The park area on the east side is generally open and creates a friendly, nature-friendly atmosphere. However, there are "blemishes" such as residential houses, guesthouses, hotels, and a large area of beach that has not been renovated, leading to disjointed and inconsistent sections that negatively impact the overall landscape. The Binh Minh Road itself remains unfinished for several tens of meters due to one household not yet having their land cleared. On the west side of Binh Minh Road, there are still some vacant and overgrown areas, such as in Thu Thuy ward, where the Nghi Loc District Elderly Care Home is located; or hotels occupying large plots of land that have not received investment or renovation for many years, such as the Cua Lo Trade Union Hotel…
These limitations were partly reflected in the Report summarizing tourism activities in 2024 and outlining directions and tasks for 2025 of the People's Committee of Cua Lo Town (formerly). Specifically: “The responsibility of some businesses, hotels, and restaurants operating in the town to participate in the socialization of tourism activities in 2024 was limited. Mobilizing resources from businesses in the area and encouraging large-scale investors to invest in tourism development remains difficult. The progress in attracting investors to implement the project to build the forest park east of Binh Minh road is slow…”.
Recently, I learned from the Vinh City Propaganda Department's Facebook page that the Standing Committee of the Vinh City Party Committee held a meeting to discuss the planning project and investment options for the forest park east of Binh Minh road, as well as the urban beautification plan to serve the Cua Lo Beach Tourism Festival in 2025. At this meeting, Vinh City Party Secretary Phan Duc Dong concluded by instructing the City People's Committee to continue researching the planning project and report investment options to the Provincial People's Committee; he also issued specific directives for the implementation of urban beautification work in Cua Lo.
Contacting the Secretary of the Vinh City Party Committee, Mr. Phan Duc Dong, he stated: The Standing Committee of the City Party Committee pays great attention to the development of Cua Lo beach tourism; therefore, in the past period, several meetings have been held to discuss short-term and long-term solutions for implementation. In the short term, they will continue to improve urban infrastructure, create a green, clean, and beautiful environment, and ensure security and order… A new initiative this year is that the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee has directed the City People's Committee to install free shower facilities along the beach to ensure aesthetic appeal; to eliminate parking fees; and to encourage hotels to install free Wi-Fi… In the long term, they will propose that the province consider applying some policies according to Resolution 137/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly on supplementing pilot mechanisms and specific policies for the development of Nghe An province, in order to implement the East Binh Minh Road Forest Park Planning approved by the Provincial People's Committee.
The Secretary of the Vinh City Party Committee further explained: “The forest park area east of Binh Minh road has a comprehensive and well-planned layout. Implementing it will require a large investment of approximately 2 trillion VND, therefore, this is a major undertaking that we will strive to achieve in the near future. I have also reported to the Provincial Party Standing Committee that we need to consider rearranging state-owned offices and land to put them into use to avoid waste; for hotels belonging to state organizations, we need to work with their managing agencies to ensure they are responsible for investing in upgrading facilities, meeting accommodation service needs, and maintaining overall aesthetics…”
