Phan Thanh Phong, chief officer of Hai Tac (Pirate) Archipelago, 20kmoff the south-western coast, has a dream like all the other residents inthe island commune.
Speaking to journalists who recently visitedTien Hai commune — the official name of the archipelago – said hewished power supply to the islands were not restricted to seven hours aday as at present.
Unlike Phu Quoc Island, which too belongs toKien Giang province, the place is not connected by an undersea powercable, and all the electricity is from generators.
He also hopedfor more investments in the islands to create jobs for locals since thefish catch in the sea is falling inexorably.
Tourism could be thenext big thing for the beautiful islands, and the communeadministration realises this and is hoping to exploit the archipelago'svast potential.
The commune consists of 14 islands on which 420families with 1,822 people live. Only six of the islands are inhabited,and most people here earn their livelihoods from fishing.
Butfish stocks are running out in the areas around the islands since localsdo not have the large vessels required to fish offshore, Phong said. Inthe first half this year the catch was 6,180 tonnes, 4 percent downfrom the same period last year.
He said tourism could be a goodalternative, adding that around 700 local and foreign tourists havevisited the islands this year.
The commune only started using generators in 1999, before which hardly anyone visited.
PhanHong Phuc, Deputy Chairman of the commune People's Committee, saidinvestors are encouraged to enter tourism, which would be the key sectorof the economy in future.
"The commune's name, Hai Tac (Pirate) Archipelago, causes much curiosity among tourists.
"Centuries ago this area was a base for pirates from various countries in the region.
"Thecommune is situated not very far from Ha Tien town. We are calling forinvestment in hotels, resorts, and activities like fishing, snorkeling,and diving to the coral reefs."
Besides Hai Tac, the other majorarchipelagos off the country's south-western coast are Ba Lua, Nam Du,Phu Quoc, and Tho Chau, which together comprise 143 islands.
Kien Giang tourism potential
Nguyen Van Sau, Deputy Director of the Kien Giang provincialDepartment of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said the province, which hasdeltas, mountains, forests, and islands, has great potential fortourism.
The province has many beautiful and romantic islands with long, white beaches and a year-round tropical climate.
Thearea around Ha Tien – Kien Luong is home to attractions like Mui NaiCape, Thach Dong Cave, To Chau Mountain, Da Dung Mountain, Dong Ho Lake,and Phu Tu Island.
Of Kien Giang's 143 islands, 43 are inhabited including Phu Quoc, which has a population of more than 100,000.
Sau admitted that living standards on the islands are much lower than on the mainland.
Lackof transportation and electricity is a hurdle to the economicdevelopment of the islands, he said, but promised that infrastructurewould be improved soon to attract investments.
"Kien Giang plansto install undersea cables to islands located less than 30km from themainland; [those] situated beyond 30km from the mainland will beprovided with wind and solar power."
According to figures fromhis department, the number of tourists to Kien Giang is growing by 15percent annually and to Phu Quoc, by 20 percent. In the first six monthsof this year more than two million people visited Kien Giang.
Lastyear the tourism industry contributed 4.5 percent of Kien Giang's GDP,and the province hopes to increase that to 10 percent by 2020.
"Thetourism sector in Kien Giang, especially sea-related tourism, has yetto fulfil its potential though there are some major projects in PhuQuoc," Sau added.-VNA
Speaking to journalists who recently visitedTien Hai commune — the official name of the archipelago – said hewished power supply to the islands were not restricted to seven hours aday as at present.
Unlike Phu Quoc Island, which too belongs toKien Giang province, the place is not connected by an undersea powercable, and all the electricity is from generators.
He also hopedfor more investments in the islands to create jobs for locals since thefish catch in the sea is falling inexorably.
Tourism could be thenext big thing for the beautiful islands, and the communeadministration realises this and is hoping to exploit the archipelago'svast potential.
The commune consists of 14 islands on which 420families with 1,822 people live. Only six of the islands are inhabited,and most people here earn their livelihoods from fishing.
Butfish stocks are running out in the areas around the islands since localsdo not have the large vessels required to fish offshore, Phong said. Inthe first half this year the catch was 6,180 tonnes, 4 percent downfrom the same period last year.
He said tourism could be a goodalternative, adding that around 700 local and foreign tourists havevisited the islands this year.
The commune only started using generators in 1999, before which hardly anyone visited.
PhanHong Phuc, Deputy Chairman of the commune People's Committee, saidinvestors are encouraged to enter tourism, which would be the key sectorof the economy in future.
"The commune's name, Hai Tac (Pirate) Archipelago, causes much curiosity among tourists.
"Centuries ago this area was a base for pirates from various countries in the region.
"Thecommune is situated not very far from Ha Tien town. We are calling forinvestment in hotels, resorts, and activities like fishing, snorkeling,and diving to the coral reefs."
Besides Hai Tac, the other majorarchipelagos off the country's south-western coast are Ba Lua, Nam Du,Phu Quoc, and Tho Chau, which together comprise 143 islands.
Kien Giang tourism potential
Nguyen Van Sau, Deputy Director of the Kien Giang provincialDepartment of Culture, Sport and Tourism, said the province, which hasdeltas, mountains, forests, and islands, has great potential fortourism.
The province has many beautiful and romantic islands with long, white beaches and a year-round tropical climate.
Thearea around Ha Tien – Kien Luong is home to attractions like Mui NaiCape, Thach Dong Cave, To Chau Mountain, Da Dung Mountain, Dong Ho Lake,and Phu Tu Island.
Of Kien Giang's 143 islands, 43 are inhabited including Phu Quoc, which has a population of more than 100,000.
Sau admitted that living standards on the islands are much lower than on the mainland.
Lackof transportation and electricity is a hurdle to the economicdevelopment of the islands, he said, but promised that infrastructurewould be improved soon to attract investments.
"Kien Giang plansto install undersea cables to islands located less than 30km from themainland; [those] situated beyond 30km from the mainland will beprovided with wind and solar power."
According to figures fromhis department, the number of tourists to Kien Giang is growing by 15percent annually and to Phu Quoc, by 20 percent. In the first six monthsof this year more than two million people visited Kien Giang.
Lastyear the tourism industry contributed 4.5 percent of Kien Giang's GDP,and the province hopes to increase that to 10 percent by 2020.
"Thetourism sector in Kien Giang, especially sea-related tourism, has yetto fulfil its potential though there are some major projects in PhuQuoc," Sau added.-VNA
