Vietnam is planning to further tap its sea, forest and culture resources in the Central Highlands ( Tay Nguyen) and the central region, making the two regions a moving force of the national tourism by 2010.

Under an overall plan recently approved by the government on developing tourism in 19 cities and provinces in the regions by 2010, investment priorities will be given to sea tourism and heritages in central coastal provinces, as well as culture and eco- tourism in Tay Nguyen, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) told Xinhua Wednesday.

Vietnam will build more beach resorts with modern facilities in the five coastal provinces of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan to attract foreign and local high-income earners. The Nha Trang city in Khanh Hoa and the Phan Thiet city in Binh Thuan will be acting as tourism centers of the five provinces.

Travel agencies will design tours which allow visitors to enjoy both the diversified sea ecosystem of the five provinces and the unique culture of ethnic groups in these provinces and Tay Nguyen, the administration said.

The country is also intensifying investment in preserving its sites listed among World Heritages, such as the Hoi An ancient town and the My Son holy land in Quang Nam, and facilitating eco- tourism in Tay Nguyen, home to many beautiful waterfalls, caves and forests as well as festivals of ethnic people, it said.

Under the plan, Tay Nguyen and the central region are expected to receive 2.5 million foreign tourists and 10 million local ones in 2010. They will see annual growth of 20-22 percent in tourism revenue in the 2006-2010 period.

"This year, Vietnam is expected to host 3.4 million international arrivals, up 17.2 percent. We will also receive some 16 million local visitors, up 17.6 percent," the VNAT said, adding that the country is likely to earn around 33 trillion Vietnamese dong (nearly 2.1 billion US dollars) from tourism services in 2005.

Occupancy rates of hotels in Vietnam is predicted to stand at more than 65 percent this year, the VNAT said, noting that the country, as of June, had 2,572 hotels with nearly 72,100 rooms, including 18 five-star, 48 four-star and 116 three-star hotels.

According to the Pacific Asia Travel Association, Vietnam will receive 3.36 million foreign arrivals in 2005, 3.64 million in 2006 and 3.89 in 2007, accounting for 5.87 percent, 5.80 percent and 5.75 percent, respectively, of the total visitors to the 10- member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Vietnam, in the next three years, will rank fifth in attracting foreign visitors among ASEAN members, after Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, the association predicted.

Source: Xinhua