The lower area of Thu Bổn River in the central Quảng Nam Province offers potential for sustainable growth with 'green' tourism. Quảng Nam eyes becoming a 'green' and circular economic power in central Việt Nam in 2030-50. Photo courtesy of EMIC

QUẢNG NAM — The central province of Quảng Nam plans to establish itself as a destination of international tourism, a national multi-sector hi-tech industries focus, a biodiversity-based green growth power and a centrally-run locality in the Master Plan 2021-30, with vision to 2050.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lê Trí Thanh said the ambitious plan recently approved by the Government aimed to promote Quảng Nam as a breadwinner for the State’s budget as well as a driving force for socio-economic development in central Việt Nam.

The provincial plan also included strategic solutions turning it into the first ‘green’ growth and circular economy locality based on the ‘green’ index in Việt Nam in the next decades.

Thanh said the province has favourable advantages and potential conditions in terms of traffic, deep-sea port and international airport system, ‘green’ tourism with two world heritage sites and the largest multi-industries automobile complex in Việt Nam.

The province was positively taking the lead in biodiversity restoration by hosting 2024 as the year of national biodiversity recovery with a series of activities from March to September, he said.

“We will begin the Master Plan by enacting biodiversity protection first – a base for ‘green’ growth and sustainable development – and carefully implement the plan,” Thanh shared.

A worker checks a bus production line in the vehicle factory in Trường Hải mechanical Automobile Industries Complex in Núi Thành district of Quảng Nam Province. The province plans to develop its automobile industry-based economic growth. VNS Photo Công Thành

“Quảng Nam is naturally a connection for the national road and railway system, a rendezvous of three key linked economic corridors – the coastal hi-tech area, the east Trường Sơn and Hồ Chí Minh Trail, the central Highlands, south of Laos and north of Cambodia via national road 14B, 14E, 14D and international Nam Giang border check-point,” he said.

Thanh said Quảng Nam could promote the use of two international airports, Đà Nẵng and Chu Lai, in a 100km radius as a regional and international logistic centre.

In speeding up the Master Plan, Chu Lai will be a core zone of provincial economic structure on the base of the Chu Lai-Trường Hải automobile industry, where Trường Hải Group has invested US$500 million in a mechanical automobile complex as well as processing factories and supportive industries plants.

A report from the province unveiled that Trường Hải Group alone made a 54.8 per cent share in the provincial revenue in 2023.

Vice director of the provincial planning and investment department, Nguyễn Hưng said the plan would help Quảng Nam earn comprehensive sustainable development with an average annual Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of eight per cent in 2021-30.

Hưng said huge investment would be raised in building Chu Lai International Airport with top international aviation standards, while the deep-sea port system could handle cargo vessels of 50,000 DWT (dead-weight tonnes).

He said the province would integrate Núi Thành and Phú Ninh districts into Tam Kỳ City, building a central and ‘smart’ urban zone.

“Chu Lai will be a multi-industry economic zone linking with Dung Quất Economic Zone in neighbouring Quảng Ngãi as a key growth power with already-invested sea port system and national multi-vehicle traffic system,” Hưng said.

Vice chairman of the province Hồ Quang Bửu also stressed the province would target biodiversity protection and development in building sustainable growth brands from well-conserved primary forest.

He said Quảng Nam had been working with ministries and relevant agencies in boosting carbon credit export that would earn VNĐ100 billion (US$4 million) per year.

The province strongly committed to reserving a conservation site for the population of critically endangered grey-shanked doucs langurs (Pygathrix cinerea) in Tam Mỹ Tây Commune of Núi Thành District.

Quảng Nam has been establishing itself as the first ‘green’ destination in Việt Nam since it hosted the National Tourism Year – Quảng Nam 2022.

A key coastal road connects Đà Nẵng, Hội An cities and tourism destinations in Quảng Nam Province. The locality aims to promote 'green' growth from hi-tech industries and sustainable tourism in the next decades. Photo courtesy of Hoàng Quân

Quảng Nam – the only locality in Việt Nam with two UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites, the Hội An ancient town and Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary, as well as the world Biosphere Reserve Chàm Island-Hội An – has been leading in promoting a ‘green tourism criteria set' in contributing from 10 to 12 per cent to the provincial GRDP. VNS