The People’s Committee of Binh Thuan Province has ordered relevant agencies to tackle the problems arising from large quantities of wastes washing up along the Phan Thiet city coast, affecting tourism.

Trash on a beach in Mui Ne in Phan Thiet city. Local authorities have ordered a clean-up. Photo vov.vn

The city People’s Committee now has instruct Mũi Né, Hàm Tiến and Phú Hải wards and Tiến Thành Commune to collaborate with the Bình Thuận Environmental and Urban Services JSC to immediately collect and process the trash to minimise the impacts on tourism.

The provincial authorities also told the Bình Thuận Tourism Association to instruct tourism businesses to collect and treat trash on beaches and contribute funds for buying equipment for collecting, transporting and treating waste found on beaches.

Between May to August every year large quantities of fishing equipment, plastic bottles and bags and household utensils wash ashore in Mũi Né, Hàm Tiến and Phú Hải wards and Tiến Thành Commune, causing grave concern among local residents and visitors and tourism-related businesses.

Trần Hoàng Nam, a traveller from HCM City, said Phan Thiet has many beautiful beaches and resorts offering good services, but the trash along the coast spoils the environment.

“We wanted to visit a fishing village in Mũi Né Ward, but were horrified by the stink and decided not to.”.

He blamed it on the wastewater from households and fish drying on the village’s roads.

The central coastal province of Bình Thuận received 1.35 million tourists in the first quarter of the year, a jump of 14 per cent compared to the same period last year.

 Bình Thuận tourism has many advantages such as well-known resorts, natural landscapes, beautiful beaches and sand dunes in the Phan Thiet City’s Mũi Né area, as well as high-quality tourism services and tasty cuisine.  Mũi Né is one of the province’s most attractive destinations. It is also called “Sand Paradise” because of its splendid sand dunes, blue sea and special foods. 

The central province of Bình Thuận has recently unvailed a plan to develop Mũi Né, a popular beach area in the coastal city of Phan Thiet, into a national tourism site by 2030.

By 2025, Mũi Né would become the main resort centre of Bình Thuận and the south-central coastal region, welcoming 10 million visitors. And by 2030, the area would meet all requirements for becoming a national level site, with 16 million visitors and VNĐ58 trillion (US$2.5 billion) in tourism revenue.

The area aims to attract new markets in central and northern Europe and the Middle East, and will focus on beaches, sports, culture and community tourism.

The development of Mũi Né into a national tourism site would boost development in the region, and links with the Central Highlands. — VNS