VietNamNet Bridge - The National Tourism Year 2011 program will focus on boosting the tourist industry and to encourage more protection of our beautiful beaches in the south central region, said a tourist official on Sunday.

The organizing board met in Tuy Hoa City, central province of Phu Yen and this was to introduce more than 30 cultural, sport and tourism events, which are scheduled to take place in the south-central coastal region next year.

The South-central coastal region includes Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces and Da Nang City,

The press conference was attended by representatives from cities and provinces from all over the south-central coastal region and more than 30 press agencies.

Under the theme of “Visit Vietnam Year – Phu Yen 2011: Exotic Beach and Island”, major events of the National Tourism Year 2011 will include the international mountaineering tournament at Da Bia mount, the Vietnam-South Korea cultural exchange, the sea and island month and the ASEAN traditional music festival.

The opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year is scheduled to take place in Tuy Hoa City on April 1, 2011 to mark the 400th anniversary of the province’s establishment.

In preparation for the National Tourism Year 2011, Phu Yen Province has organized a series of cultural, sport and tourism events, aimed to popularize the National Tourism Year 2011 and to introduce the province’s exotic land to as many people as possible.

The province has built tourism facilities and has upgraded many projects and various infrastructures. With capital investment of over VND230 billion (US$11.5 million), the province’s tourism sector has launched training courses for tourism staff to improve the quality of tourist products and services.

As schedule, from December 3-10, a tourism research team has been studying famous tourist spots from Khanh Hoa Province to Da Nang Province.

Since the beginning of this year, the southern central coastal province of Phu Yen has welcomed more than 312,500 visitors, including 12,000 international tourists, an increase of 20% as compared to the same period last year.

According to the province’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, due to the increased number of tourists, the provincial tourism sector has earned 249.5 billion VND, an increase of 1.7 times compared to last year’s figure, and 50% of local hotel rooms were now occupied.

Source: SGGP