Creating a breakthrough in development for Cua Lo

(Baonghean) - The Resolution of the 5th Party Congress of Cua Lo Town, term 2015-2020, sets the goal of developing Cua Lo into a type II coastal tourist city, creating the foundation for building a green, clean, beautiful, prosperous, civilized, and modern coastal tourist city; a shining example of tourism nationwide. Based on this goal, the Party committees, government, and the entire political system of Cua Lo are focusing on leadership and direction to realize the set objectives.

Effectiveness of a project

In the very first year (2016) of implementing the Resolution of the 5th Party Congress of Cua Lo town, term 2015-2020, Cua Lo immediately faced difficulties from a marine environmental incident that had a tremendous impact on tourism activities. Recognizing the need to overcome challenges in the following years, the Party committee, government, and political system from the town level to the grassroots focused their efforts on leading and directing, creating a new transformation in the development of the tourism economy.

Comrade Nguyen Thi Dung - Member of the Standing Committee of the Town Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo town, shared: The Resolution of the 5th Congress of the Town Party Committee sets out that by 2020, Cua Lo will attract 3.2 - 3.5 million tourists (an average increase of 7 - 8% per year); tourism revenue will reach 4,500 - 5,000 billion VND (an average increase of 18 - 20% per year); average per capita income will reach 130 - 140 million VND; and the proportion of services and tourism will account for 62 - 63% of the economic structure.

To achieve the above goals, in parallel with continuing to call for and attract investment in building a synchronous and modern tourism infrastructure, the town is focusing its leadership and direction on building Cua Lo tourism in the direction of "Discipline - Responsibility"; building Cua Lo as an attractive, safe, friendly, and hospitable destination, worthy of being the first coastal tourism city in the country.

Cua Lo town is strengthening management of pricing, environmental hygiene, and food safety for restaurants operating in the tourism sector. Photo: Mai Hoa

To realize the above orientation, immediately after the Party Congress of Cua Lo town, term 2015-2020, the Cua Lo Town Party Committee assigned the Town People's Committee to develop and issue the Project "Strengthening State Management of Tourism in Cua Lo Town, 2016-2020". In implementing this Project, the Party committees, government, and organizations from the town level to the grassroots have actively carried out a series of practical and specific activities.

For Thu Thuy ward (one of the four central tourist wards of the town), according to Comrade Nguyen Thanh Tuyen - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of the ward, the issue that the Party Committee and the government here are concerned about is focusing on managing planning and construction in the area, avoiding encroachment and expansion of construction works, kiosks, and stalls for business services, ensuring a spacious and aesthetically pleasing urban environment for coastal tourism.

In addition, many training courses on tourism service skills were organized for local people to understand and deeply appreciate the importance of building a brand in the hearts of tourists through product quality, price, service style, clean environment, etc. Within the ward, 14 restaurants have been recognized by the People's Committee of the town as meeting the standards of a civilized restaurant.

For Nghi Thu ward, the Party Committee and local government are focusing on thoroughly implementing the town's "5 No's" policy. In addition to the ward's tourism security team, the established self-governing groups also clearly demonstrate their role in mutual supervision in maintaining environmental hygiene, publicly displaying prices, and ensuring food safety and hygiene.

Comrade Tran The Hoan, Vice Chairman of the Ward People's Committee, stated: The decisive role in state management of tourism activities in the ward is played by the establishments, business households, and people participating in tourism. The local authorities regularly organize dialogues to directly listen to the opinions of units and individuals, aiming to resolve difficulties and obstacles, and create consensus to implement the policies set forth by the ward.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Dung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo town, said: “The town has been implementing many effective management solutions to ensure a clean and beautiful environment; manage the operation of the electric vehicle system; ensure security and order; manage prices, food safety and hygiene... In addition to establishing a town inspection team and urban security teams in the wards to carry out inspection and kiểm tra activities on compliance with the town's policies and regulations from restaurants, hotels, and guesthouses, the town has also established and widely publicized hotlines of the town and wards so that tourists can inform and report issues in the tourist area; established hotlines related to rapid response activities such as medical emergency; rescue; fire fighting; riot police...”.

And the issues raised

In 2014, Cua Lo town was recognized by the Prime Minister as the first coastal tourism city in the country; Cua Lo beach was also rated by the World Tourism Organization as one of the most ideal beaches in Vietnam. However, some argue that Cua Lo has not yet fully exploited its inherent tourism advantages and potential to develop tourism in depth, creating a truly qualitative breakthrough and strong competitiveness. Visitors to Cua Lo only stay for a few days on weekends, swimming and enjoying local cuisine with cooking techniques and service styles that are "rustic". Private guesthouses and hotels are small-scale, family-run businesses with low service quality, and there is a complete lack of high-quality hotels, restaurants, tourist areas, and entertainment services...

Cua Lo Beach is considered the most ideal beach in the country. (Photo: Mai Hoa)

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong, Director of the Department of Tourism, stated that Cua Lo's tourism potential and resources are a gift from nature, often referred to as "God's gift." To preserve, protect, and develop sustainable tourism, significant human effort and contribution are needed. Currently, Cua Lo tourism lacks large, professional investors. Therefore, a readily apparent weakness of Cua Lo tourism today is the complete absence of entertainment areas and supermarkets – conditions necessary to diversify tourism products and encourage tourists to stay longer for recreation and shopping.

According to Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thu Thuy Ward, the biggest shortcomings and weaknesses currently facing Cua Lo tourism are the limited tourism infrastructure, narrow transportation systems, and the lack of developed connecting roads and side streets. In addition, tourism products are lacking, mainly limited to household-scale operations, and have not yet created tourism products with a collective brand.

From the perspective of a tourist, Mr. Hoang Hai Yen (Hanoi) believes that: Besides building a green, clean, and beautiful environment from public spaces to individual tourist facilities, the town needs to focus on building a culture of behavior in tourism activities that is truly civilized and professional. At the same time, it should focus on connecting tours and routes for leisure tourism, cultural and spiritual tourism, shopping tourism, and developing high-end, luxurious services and resorts to satisfy all the needs of all types of tourists...

Cua Lo town has implemented various measures to manage electric vehicle operations. (Photo: Mai Hoa)

According to Vice Chairman of the Cua Lo Town People's Committee Nguyen Thi Dung, one of the key tasks that the Party Committee and government at all levels in Cua Lo are focusing on is promoting the expansion of administrative boundaries and developing urban planning based on a new, beautiful, and modern architectural concept. This is coupled with boosting investment attraction, ensuring the necessary elements to build Cua Lo into a center for tourism, resorts, commercial services, finance and banking, education and training, and healthcare; these are the conditions to attract tourists to Cua Lo.

Minh Chi