Towards a modern, civilized and friendly coastal tourist city

(Baonghean) - In the 2010 - 2015 term, Cua Lo Town continued to create new developments in infrastructure, meeting the requirements of comprehensive development; recognized by the Prime Minister as a "Sea tourism urban area". This is an important premise for the town to move towards a civilized and modern sea tourism urban area in the coming years.

The urban landscape is improving

Every time we set foot in the coastal town, we have new feelings and discoveries. Those are the wide, airy planned roads; shops, hotels, motels along the streets; fine sand, clear water... In the conversation with Mr. Phung Khac Minh, former Chairman of the People's Committee of Thu Thuy Ward, a central ward of Cua Lo Town, we were taken back to the time of the town 21 years ago. In the early days of the town's establishment (1994), people's lives were still mainly based on farming, fishing and small seafood trading, and tourism was still very primitive. Along the entire coast of the town at that time, there were only 5-7 makeshift shops. They were called shops but they were just a few casuarina poles erected, covered with leaves to sell drinks to people around the area who came down to the beach in the afternoon. The infrastructure at that time was zero. In the following period, there were motels for the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Construction, and the Trade Union built one after another, but there were almost no private motels or hotels...

Cua Lo is increasingly attracting many tourists to come for relaxation and swimming.

Anyone who has not witnessed the "primitive" period cannot imagine Cua Lo at that time, because like today, through each tourist season, Cua Lo has created new features. Mr. Daren Fletcher from England, shared: "I have come to Cua Lo many times, it is strange, every time I receive new things. Cua Lo people are friendly and hospitable; unique culinary culture; safe and clean tourism environment, Cua Lo is truly an attractive tourist destination". Coming to Cua Lo, visitors can enjoy delicious and cheap dishes with their own unique flavors such as mackerel, squid, crab, snails, clams, mussels... creating highlights to remember, to love this place more.

Comrade Phan Cong Luu, Standing Deputy Secretary of Cua Lo Town Party Committee, shared: During the 2010 - 2015 term, with the help of the Central Government and the province, the town has focused on adjusting the planning, attracting investment in many infrastructure development projects, especially focusing on attracting types of services, high-end tourism projects and expanding urban tourism space, meeting the requirements of a civilized and modern urban area. First of all, the traffic system has been invested and upgraded, creating convenient connections such as National Highway 46, Lam River road from Cua Hoi - Nam Dan, road from Vinh center - Cua Lo, Provincial Road 535 (Vinh - Cua Hoi). The urban traffic system with 35 routes has been completed and named. The main streets including Binh Minh, Mai Thuc Loan, Nguyen Hue, Phan Sao Nam, Nguyen Sinh Cung are paved with asphalt from 7 - 21m wide....

Along with that, the hotel and motel system with nearly 275 hotels, motels/8,000 rooms and over 16,000 beds, enough to serve 170,000 - 180,000 guests/day and night. Including dozens of 2-4 star hotels and over 300 kiosks providing tourism services. In particular, there are a number of high-class hotels such as Saigon - Kim Lien, Muong Thanh - Cua Lo..., creating highlights in service quality and appearance of Cua Lo tourist urban area. In parallel, the town has also coordinated with the functional branches of the province and investors to adjust the planning, attract investment in projects such as: Van Xuan University 50 hectares; 18-hole golf course hotel complex, area 132.7 hectares; Trang An confectionery factory; expansion project of wharfs 5, 6, 7 of Cua Lo Port of Tuan Loc Company with a budget of nearly 1,200 billion VND; The investment project of Ngu Island tourist complex - Hai Hoa high-class ecological area was approved by the Provincial People's Committee to allow VinGroup Corporation to survey and establish the project;.... The domestic water supply system, wastewater treatment; parks, gardens, trees, vegetation... are continued to be invested and upgraded. These are very important foundations for the town to develop into a civilized and modern coastal tourist city in the near future.

Improve service quality

Clearly identifying that developing tourism economy is the focus and spearhead, creating comprehensive development for the town, in the 2010-2015 term, Cua Lo town has focused on innovating the work of propaganda, introducing and promoting tourism to domestic and foreign tourists. In consecutive years, Cua Lo has organized meetings to promote and introduce sea tourism in the capital Hanoi and many other localities. Along with that, promoting the connection of spiritual tourism routes inside and outside the province, such as Cua Lo with Kim Lien relic site, King Mai temple (Nam Dan); Quang Trung temple on Dung Quyet mountain (Vinh city); Cuong temple (Dien Chau); Củi temple - worshiping Hoang Muoi (Nghi Xuan - Ha Tinh); Nguyen Du memorial site and tomb; Dong Loc crossroads relic; Vung Chua - Yen island (Quang Binh).... In practice, in recent times, tourism activities have been highly appreciated by tourists, including Cua Lo - Ngu island; Cua Lo - Vinh - Kim Lien relic site; Cua Lo - Vinh - Phuket (Laos)... Space, tourism products, tourism businesses are expanded such as Nghi Thuy tourist area, Cua Hoi tourist area, Lam riverside road...

The town is interested in improving the quality of tourism, cultural behavior, and communication in tourism through publicly posting prices at kiosks and effectively implementing the town's "5 no" policy. Thu Thuy is one of the four central tourist wards of the town, focusing on promoting solutions to improve service quality and enhance the tourism brand in the hearts of tourists. "Propaganda work to raise awareness for people to understand that "guests do not come to us only once but also many times after that, through product quality, price, service style, clean environment...." - Comrade Nguyen Hong Son, Secretary of the Ward Party Committee shared.

With drastic solutions and innovative thinking, Cua Lo tourism has made great strides in the 5 years of the 2010 - 2015 term, continuing to expand its brand in the hearts of friends and tourists nationwide and internationally. The number of visitors to Cua Lo is increasingly more numerous and diverse, from 1.85 million in 2010 to 2.43 million in 2015, an average increase of 6%/year; tourism revenue increased from 725 billion VND in 2010 to 2,076 billion VND in 2015, an average increase of more than 20%/year. With the results achieved, Cua Lo was recognized as a "Sea tourism city" by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 2355/QD - TTg on December 25, 2014. This is a result that bears the mark of the 2010-2015 term, achieving the target of the 4th Town Party Congress Resolution 1 year ahead of schedule. Currently, the town is continuing to attract investment in tourism development projects to create a breakthrough in infrastructure associated with improving the quality of tourism, striving to develop Cua Lo into a civilized and modern urban area in the 2015-2020 term.

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