Quang Binh Province People's Committee have suggested that local businesses could afford to cut their charges for goods and services from between 30 to 50 percent.

Thien Duong Cave

According to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, tourists visits to the province have fallen by 102,000 by April, about 50 percent down on the same period last year. The sector has suffered from some USD4.6m in lost income and unemployment threatens 4,000 direct workers and 7,000 indirect workers.

The local authorities said they would issue measures to support firms and the sector as a whole to prevent further losses. They will submit proposals to ask banks to lower interest rates for hotel and restaurant owners and to suspend or cut corporate income tax.

Nguyen Huu Hoai, chairman of Quang Binh Province People's Committee, asked owners of restaurants, hotels and tourism centres to still cut their prices for goods and services by 30 to 50 percent this year, despite their earnings already falling 50 percent.

Quang Binh Province is known for its various caves such as Phong Nha, Tien Son and Thien Duong.

Quang Binh's tourism has been badly affected after the mass fish deaths along the central coast from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue provinces.

Dtinews