Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked the central province of Khánh Hòa to develop tourism as an economic driving force, given its natural conditions, during a working session with local authorities yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

KHÁNH HÒA – Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has asked the central province of Khánh Hòa to develop tourism as an economic driving force, given its natural conditions, during a working session with local authorities yesterday. 

Describing tourism, together with industry, agriculture and rural areas as the three economic spearheads, the PM expects Khánh Hòa to serve at least 10 million visitors, including 3 million foreigners, and contribute 15-20 per cent to the provincial gross domestic product, by 2020. 

He requested the province manage natural resources in tandem with environmental protection during the process of developing tourism, while making Nha Trang a sightseeing city that improves the lives of locals. 

On planning management, he hailed Khánh Hòa for relocating its administrative area to give land to production, trading and tourism development. 

Regarding agricultural restructuring, the Vietnamese leader suggested building high-tech agricultural zones in service of tourism as well as acquiring the Central Highlands city of Đà Lạt’s experience in building organic farming areas. 

As the province lies in a strategic position for national defence and security, he stressed the need to develop national defence logistics services in combination with safeguarding sea and island sovereignty. 

The PM asked for continuing start-up and business facilitation, to have 25,000-30,000 enterprises by 2020 and bring more firms to rural areas in order to stimulate growth. 

Khánh Hòa must become a model administration that stands side by side with businesses and the people, and one of the localities topping the provincial public administrative reform index, he said, noting that it needs to pool more public resources for development while closely controlling the economic and effective use of socio-economic infrastructure. 

On the occasion, he also gave feedback on the province’s proposals regarding socio-economic infrastructure and tourism development. 

Last year, the province earned VNĐ12.9 trillion (US$565.1 million) from tourism, up 16.43 per cent year-on-year. 

Tourism and services make up more than 90 per cent of the local economic structure thanks to special natural conditions, history and culture possessed by the locality. 

With a long coastline and some 200 islands, islets and bays, Nha Trang is considered one of the top 10 tourism-service centres in the country. In May 2013, Nha Trang bay became an official member of the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World. 

The province has also thoroughly dealt with all polluting facilities. Up to 90 per cent of manufacturing and trading facilities met environment hygiene requirements and 90 per cent of urban solid waste was collected. – VNS