Seventeen miles off Cua Tung beach, central Quang Tri province, lies Con Co Island, which is set to become a national tourist hotspot and a driving force of economic growth in the province, according to Nguyen Lanh, Chairman of the Con Co Island District People’s Committee.

Covering an area of 2.3 square kilometres in the south of the Gulf of Tonkin, Con Co Island is blessed with diverse tropical marine ecosystems. Thanks to its large forests, beautiful beaches and pristine coral reefs, the island has huge potential for tourism development.

It is also renowned as a pivotal battlefield during the war against the United States, and much evidence remains there of Vietnam’s ultimate victory. Authorities believe that this also makes the island a great place to develop for tourists with a taste for history.

Current popular tours on the island include scuba-diving, canoeing, fishing and marine sports. However, these activities are mainly offered by local residents who still struggle to do business professionally due to a lack of adequate infrastructure, such as power and accommodation, together with a lack of transport to the island, Lanh conceded.

Hundreds of tourist groups visit Con Co annually and the demand is increasing every year, the chairman stated. He added that in order to meet this demand the island district has been focusing on building necessary infrastructure, such as power, water and passenger ships.

Should Con Co become a national resort island, as hoped by the Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee, this status should attract local and foreign tourism investment to the island.

VNA