Quang Tri determines to promote maritime economy

Taking advantage of its geographical location and abundant natural marine resources, Quang Tri province is determined to become a strong coastal locality, thriving from the sea. Vice Chairman of Quang Tri People’s Committee Ha Sy Dong shared with Quang Tri Newspaper the province’s determination to develop industries associated with the sea and leverage all available resources to invest in the maritime economy.

How do you assess the favorable conditions of the province to promote the maritime economy?

Quang Tri possesses abundant potential and advantages for developing its maritime economy. Situated conveniently at the forefront of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC), Cua Viet Port is regarded as a key focal point, playing a pivotal role in driving the province’s economy and connecting with neighboring provinces. Notably, the Port is located 90 km from the Lao Bao International Border Gate and 300 km from the Northeastern region of Thailand via the trans-Asian route, making it the shortest route to the sea. Therefore, this represents an advantage for Cua Viet to evolve into a major port facilitating smoother maritime transportation between Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand.

Furthermore, Quang Tri Province boasts a coastline stretching 75 km, diverse marine ecosystems, extensive fishing grounds, and abundant seafood resources. Particularly, the presence of many beautiful beaches along the coastline offers favorable conditions for tourism development. Along the coast, there are many sheltered areas conducive to port development, construction of repair yards, and boat docking facilities. Moreover, there are abundant mineral resources such as natural gas, titanium, and white sand, providing opportunities for developing energy and glass industries.

Not only does Quang Tri possess significant potential for service, tourism, and commercial development, but its coastal areas are also evaluated as having substantial offshore wind power potential. Alongside the two key areas of Cua Viet and Cua Tung, the coastal areas of Trieu An, Trieu Van in Trieu Phong district, and Hai An, Hai Duong in Hai Lang district are forming maritime economic zones.

Especially, with the establishment of the deep-water port in My Thuy and the LNG Power Center in Hai Lang, the coastal area from Cua Viet to My Thuy, with its nucleus being the Southeast Economic Zone, is poised to become a multifaceted maritime economic corridor encompassing various sectors and industries including tourism, seafood processing, offshore wind power industry, logistics services, and seaports.

Marine tourism, aquaculture, and fisheries, along with coastal industry and renewable energy are the four maritime economic sectors that Quang Tri Province focuses on developing. Could you elaborate further on the province's directions regarding these objectives?

The provincial planning of Quang Tri for the period 2021-2030 has been approved by the Prime Minister, in which the coastal planning area will be a focal point for developing coastal urban tourism, comprehensive coastal tourism areas connected to Con Co Island; forming modern aquaculture and fisheries processing complexes... Many objectives for maritime economic development are outlined in this plan.

Specifically, the Quang Tri provincial planning project until 2030, with a vision to 2050, is depicted as an eagle facing the sea, identifying the coastal area as a focal point for developing coastal urban tourism, comprehensive coastal tourism areas connected to Con Co Island; forming modern, environmentally friendly aquaculture and fisheries processing complexes; developing clean industry complexes combined with services and urban areas.

Maintaining, restoring, and expanding coastal forest protection belts, restoring the environment of coastal forest ecological areas; developing the Southeast Economic Zone as a comprehensive coastal economic zone, focusing on the energy industry, multi-sectoral coastal advantage exploitation industries, logistics; building an airport in Gio Linh and an international seaport of 100,000 tons in My Thuy.

The low-lying area between the coastal area and the highland plain will be a supporting sub-area, developing eco-friendly agriculture, organic agriculture, and high-tech agriculture; upgrading infrastructure and living environment quality of existing residential areas, enhancing connectivity with central areas; developing eco-tourism; restoring the environment and proactively responding to natural disasters, climate change.

For development corridors, including the coastal development corridor, the focus will be on gas industry, multi-sectoral coastal advantage exploitation industries, logistics services, coastal eco-tourism and coastal sand ecosystem restoration. The East-West development corridor along National Highway 9 will exploit the potential and advantages of the East-West international corridor to build the Lao Bao - Densavan Cross-Border Trade Zone, connecting the Lao Bao - Dong Ha - Cua Viet border gate, developing logistics, trade, services, tourism, creating attractive investment opportunities, enhancing living environment quality of the population, supporting sustainable forestry development linked with community and eco-tourism, ensuring national defense security.

The East-West development corridor along National Highway 15D will exploit the potential and advantages of the La Lay international corridor region to form a special trade-economic zone connecting the La Lay International Border Gate - My Thuy Port, developing logistics, trade, services, tourism, enhancing living environment quality of the population linked with supporting sustainable forestry development, promoting the cultural identity of ethnic minorities, creating a favorable environment for production and business linked with community tourism, ensuring national defense security, exploiting the maritime economic potential linked with international seaports.

Regarding tourism, the planning aims to leverage advantages of the coastal and island, ecological, cultural, and religious tourism... and connect regions within the Central heritage tourism system, as well as national and international economic corridors; develop beach and island resort tourism, with a focus on developing the tourism triangle of Cua Tung - Cua Viet - Con Co Island and the coastal urban tourism belt; create opportunities to develop eco-tourism, community-based tourism in coastal areas, around lakes, and in the western mountainous region, forming unique local tourism products, services, and destinations...

Cua Viet Port. Photo: Tan Nguyen

How is the province implementing mechanisms and policies to develop its maritime economy in line with its potential and advantages, while simultaneously ensuring the protection of maritime sovereignty?

To drive the sustainable development of the maritime economy in both the short and long terms, the province is proactively reviewing and supplementing its coastal planning and policies with a focus on integration and sustainable development. It creates favorable conditions to mobilize resources domestically and internationally for infrastructure development, scientific and technological advancement, human resources, and knowledge transfer related to the maritime sector. Additionally, it’s supplementing urban coastal planning.

Reviewing, adjusting, and developing cohesive strategies, plans, and policies related to the sea and islands towards comprehensive management, harmoniously linking conservation and development of mainland areas, coastal areas, and marine and island areas of the province and neighboring provinces.

Concentrating resources to develop the province’s coastal industry as a dynamic development area, serving as a driving force for provincial economic growth, with the Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone as the nucleus for the development of various industries. Investing in a system of seaports and developing maritime transport services. Enhancing investment attraction to build the deep-water My Thuy port cluster, upgrading the Cua Viet port to exploit advantages in port services, maritime transport, and related services. Developing rational ship repair industries, and supporting industries.

Quang Tri Province prioritizes the development of coastal tourism and services as one of the leading sectors of the maritime economy. It focuses resources on investing in comprehensive, centralized, and focal tourism infrastructure; encouraging and facilitating the participation of economic components in developing ecotourism, scientific exploration, and high-end coastal resort tourism in the coastal areas of Cua Viet, Cua Tung, and Con Co Island.

Building, developing, and diversifying local marine tourism products, product chains, and brands based on biodiversity conservation and the unique cultural and historical values of regions, connecting with tourism routes along the East-West Economic Corridor to make Quang Tri an attractive destination domestically and regionally.

The coastal fisheries sector is transitioning from traditional fishing and seafood exploitation methods to industrialization and the application of advanced technology. Reorganizing seafood exploitation activities towards reducing near-shore exploitation and enhancing offshore fishing in line with the ecological restoration capacity of the marine ecosystem, coupled with effective training and occupational conversion for fishermen.

Implementing policies to overcome difficulties, supporting fishermen in investing in high-capacity new vessel construction, and expanding offshore fishing. Investing in upgrading fishing ports, fish wharves, and boat mooring areas, and effectively organizing post-fishing services. Promoting the application of advanced science and technology in aquaculture, fishing, preservation, and seafood processing to produce leading, high-quality, economically valuable products, meeting market demands domestically and internationally. Promoting investment in building, exploiting gas and solar power, and other forms of renewable energy. Focusing on developing some industries based on the exploitation of diverse marine biological resources such as marine medicinal materials, seaweed cultivation, and processing. Participating in supporting services for renewable energy production in the area.

Developing cohesively and step by step forming economic zones, coastal ecological urban areas. Improving the material and spiritual lives of coastal residents. Improving the quality of healthcare, and education, providing adequate electricity, communication, freshwater, and ensuring security, and safety for coastal residents and maritime workers.

Emphasizing the development of cultural institutions for coastal communities; promoting the essence and historical and cultural values of ethnic groups, fostering good behavior towards the sea, considering it an important foundation for building maritime culture; and conserving cultural spaces, architecture, and natural heritage. Enhancing awareness of the sea and ocean, building a society, culture, lifestyle, and behavior closely tied to the sea, and promoting the spirit of mutual assistance among coastal communities.

Strengthening the entire people’s defense posture, linked to the people’s security posture in coastal areas. Building armed forces, with a focus on building strong maritime militia forces with a reasonable quantity and high quality. Simultaneously, gradually investing in building national defense works in key areas, and coastal and island routes. Directing units to strengthen situational awareness, well-prepared forces and means, ready to participate in the struggle against activities infringing upon Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over sea areas.

Boosting mobilization of resources from economic sectors, especially private and foreign-invested sectors. Actively attracting large investors with advanced technology and management expertise from developed countries. Encouraging the development of businesses from all economic sectors, strong maritime economic groups operating in production, business at sea, especially in offshore areas. Actively and proactively coordinating with central ministries and agencies to accelerate the progress of economic-social infrastructure construction projects in the locality, especially in coastal areas.

Thank you for your time!

Thanh Truc - Ngoc Mai