Blessed by nature with pristine islands, and poetic stunning beaches, Quang Ngai is considered to be an island and sea paradise that fits for all.

In particular, in the southern region, Sa Huynh Beach stretches nearly 6km and curves in a crescent shape, embracing the charming smooth golden sand.

More than 10km east of Quang Ngai city centre, My Khe Beach also impresses tourists with the tranquillity of a 7km coastline, covered by the deep blue poplar forest and the crescent sea. And Ly Son, an island district located nearly 30km from the mainland, boasts a population of more than 22,000 and pristine scenery to attract tourists.

Ly Son in particular is deemed a living museum of tangible and intangible cultural heritage as well as marine volcanic geological heritage, preserving many valuable artefacts on the history of establishing and protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty on the East Sea many centuries ago. Today, it is favourable for developing resort tourism, swimming, entertainment, sports, and more besides.

Every year, Ly Son welcomes tens of thousands of domestic and foreign tourists. In recent years, it has diversified cultural and sports events associated with available tourism products to increase the attraction of island tourism.

In April, Quang Ngai organised a sea and island tourism week along with a series of cultural and sports activities such as a paragliding tournament, cross-country running, a traditional boat-racing festival, beach volleyball, and others.

Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Ngai Nguyen Tien Dung said that the province will strongly develop maritime tourism, cultural tourism, and ecotourism as the foundation for sustainable development. “In particular, Ly Son is identified as the nucleus in the development quadrilateral of Ly Son, Binh Son, My Khe, and Sa Huynh to focus on effectively exploiting sea and island tourism resources, forming high-end beach resort tourism products and large-scale entertainment complexes,” Dung said.

The master planning for Quang Ngai province towards 2050, last month approved by the government, has emphasised the overall goals. In which, Quang Ngai will develop the Ly Son island district to become a key sea-island tourism centre of the country.

The plan also identifies tourism as an important economic sector, in which the province will develop a variety of products in sea, island, mountain, and forest tourism; community and healthcare tourism; and cultural and spiritual tourism towards sustainability, high quality, and great added value.

Le Van Ninh, Vice Chairman of Ly Son District People’s Committee said, “It is now a golden opportunity to introduce and promote the culture and tourism images of Ly Son to tourists, contributing to concretising the Party’s orientation on developing Ly Son into a national sea and island tourism centre.”

Dang Van Minh, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Quang Ngai province, has directed relevant agencies and units to survey and prepare a construction subdivision planning project for the Ly Son urban area according to the overall adjustment of the master plan for construction of Dung Quat economic zone, which was approved in February.

Accordingly, the province targets to make Ly Son island district a dynamic, attractive, and liveable sea-island tourism urban area with a synchronous and modern infrastructure system, which is worthy of the position of a key tourist centre of the country, while closely linking economic development with ensuring national security.

The provincial People’s Committee is also to direct relevant departments to advise on roadmaps and focus resources to attract investment to develop Ly Son Island following the direction set by Resolution No.26-NQ/TW on socioeconomic development and ensuring national security in the North Central and Central Coast regions for this decade and beyond.

It has approved related plans such as adjusting the planning of My Khe tourist area, and connecting transport infrastructure such as Hoang Sa-Doc Soi road and Dung Quat-Sa Huynh coastal road.

“Promoting investment in infrastructure is a key basis to exploit the province’s advantages and promote attractive ventures to create motivation for the province’s tourism development in the coming time,” Minh said.

Quang Ngai’s unique landscape offers potential for future growth