The final approved planning, including efforts to promote investment, will be unveiled at a press conference on March 3 in Tuy Hoa city, with more than 650 guests, including leaders from the government, management agencies, and the private sector all expected to attend.

The planned Phu Yen Geopark will aim to be recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark, in the hopes that it will build a distinct local brand for the region by sustainably promoting its valuable geological heritage and biodiversity.

Phu Yen is renowned for the natural beauty of Ganh Da Dia, located in An Ninh Dong commune, Tuy An district, which is a stretch of coastline with prismatic basalt columns that appear like plates stacked on top of each other.

According to a local study, basalt in the area was formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. As the lava flows cooled, they solidified and cracked into relatively uniform prismatic rock columns.

The stone columns, located right next to the sea, were then eroded by waves and continued to crack, forming these stone ‘disks’.

Last December, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha approved the task of preserving and restoring Ganh Da Dia in a move intended to promote the area as an attractive tourist destination in the south central region by protecting its unique biodiversity and geology.

Phu Yen’s planning also requires the province to ensure the preservation of the identity of the land and its people by promoting the cultural heritage of its communities through sustainable tourism development. Priority is to be given to protecting and restoring relics that have been degraded and those considered suitable for development into tourist attractions.

Also contained in the plan is a commitment for the province to focus on building a system of cultural and sporting institutions and developing and encouraging physical education and sports activities.