Nghe An welcomed nearly 6 million tourists in 2015.

(Baonghean.vn) – According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in 2015, Nghe An welcomed nearly 6 million visitors.This included over 3.6 million overnight visitors, with 65,000 international visitors. Tourism service revenue reached 2,620 billion VND, a 10% increase compared to 2014.

As a province with diverse and abundant tourism potential, Nghe An identifies tourism as one of its key socio-economic development priorities. Currently, the accommodation system in Nghe An province is developing strongly with nearly 700 hotels and guesthouses offering over 16,000 rooms.

Bai Lu eco-tourism area (Nghi Loc). Photo: PV.

In addition, several high-end resorts and an 18-hole golf course have been built and put into operation on Cua Lo and Nghi Loc beaches; cultural and ecological tourism areas have been initially invested in to exploit the local tourism potential. Restaurants, shopping, and entertainment facilities have also developed strongly, capable of providing quality products and services to tourists visiting Nghe An, especially unique dishes that reflect the cultural identity of Nghe An (including the eel porridge specialty, which has been recognized as an Asian record).

Tourists surf at Cua Lo beach. Photo: Sy Minh.

Furthermore, Nghe An province has favorable transportation infrastructure for tourism development. Besides road and rail transport, there are currently domestic flights from Nghe An to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Buon Ma Thuot, Da Lat, and Nha Trang, with an increasing number of tourists (a Vinh – Bangkok route is expected to open in April 2016 with the support of Vietravel Tourism Company).

With these advantages, Nghe An is becoming the starting point and main destination in the Central Vietnam Heritage Route tourism lines, and also the starting point of the East-West Corridor tourism line (along National Highway 8), connecting heritage sites such as "Journey Through Ancient Capital Regions," exploring cave systems in Central Vietnam (Thien Duong Cave, Son Doong Cave - the world's largest cave in Quang Binh)... It serves as a transit point for tourism within the country and for international tourism, especially with neighboring countries: Vietnam - Laos - Thailand.

A vibrant field of sunflowers in Nghia Dan. Photo: Nguyen Le Thang.

The province has 37 travel businesses, including 14 international travel centers with a continuously growing team of international tour guides, with a significant increase in both the number and quality of Lao and Thai-speaking guides. Tourism activities also create jobs for over 15,000 direct and indirect workers in the area.

Phuoc Anh