Khanh Hoa province possesses 385 kilometresof coast. It also has more than 200 near and offshore islands and islets,including Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, which holds an important role insocio-economic development, as well as in defence and security, of the localityand the nation as well.
With such strengths, Khanh Hoa province has prioritisedsea exploitation and tourism development.
Currently, the marine economy of the provinceaccounts for more than 30 percent of the gross regional product domesticproduct (GRDP). The province has encouraged the development of its threepivotal economic zones, which link with Van Phong, Nha Trang and Cam Ranh bays.
The Van Phong, Nha Trang and Cam Ranh bays are famous for their scenic viewsand economic and defence values. As deep-water bays, surrounded by highmountains, the bays are good for the construction of seaports, fishinglogistics areas and storm shelters for fishing vessels.
The province aims to develop the marineeconomy so it account for about 60 percent of its gross domestic product andexports from the sea-based economy are aimed at 70 percent.
The province has become a major tourismcentre and contributes 12 percent to annual GRDP.
From 2012 to 2015, the average revenue from seaand island tourism reached more than 4.8 trillion VND per year. The figure isestimated to be 7.1 billion VND in the first 10 months of 2016, increasing by121 percent year-on-year and fulfilling 92 percent of the year’s plan.
Khanh Hoa province and Nha Trang city havemany high quality accommodation establishments along its coast. Of more than610 hotels in the province, over 70 hotels have from three- to five- starratings.
The number of tourists coming to Khanh Hoaprovince in 2015-2030 is expected to increase by 1-1.2 million people. Totalrevenue gained from foreign visitors is hoped to rise from 286 million USD to972 million USD and increase from about 112 million USD to 509 million USD fromdomestic visitors.
Currently, Khanh Hoa is focusing ondeveloping sea and island tourism in combination with conserving naturalresources and historical and cultural heritage. The province also aims to be afrequent host of major domestic and international events.
In addition, the province also set up newindustrial zones with heavy industry factories using sea advantages to attractdomestic and foreign investment.
Van Phong economic zone is the largest zoneof the country in terms of scale, with a total area of 150,000ha. TheGovernment aims for it to become a general economic zone, with transporting containersits main role.
The province’s sea port system has alsoimproved over the years. Cam Ranh Port is the leading deep-water port ofVietnam which is near the international marine route.
Upon completing the enhancement process, CamRanh Port is able to receive ships with capacity of up to 50,000 tonnes. It isalso expected to be a modern logistics centre, contributing to effectivelyusing the advantages of Cam Ranh Bay.
The procedures to change the function of Nha TrangPort are also underway, as the port will be used only for tourism. Meanwhile, inan effort to protect the environment, factories responsible for pollution willbe moved out of the city.
Khanh Hoa province is also among sixprovinces to build large fishing centres to serve the region’s fishing sector.Estuaries with sea lagoons and bays create favourable conditions for fishery. NhaPhu and Thuy Trieu lagoons, in particular, are sources of the province’saquatic products./.