Monday, August 8, 2011

Salt parks to cash in on tourism sector

Salt parks tipped as tourism destinations

July 30, 2011 about News, Travel

VietNamNet Bridge – The Union of Science for Sustainable Tourism Development (STDe) plans to promote salt parks to tourists as an environmentally friendly attraction.

“Combining salt production with tourism is a way of capitalising on the popularity of the coast”.

STDe said 70 per cent of the country’s tourism sector focused on Viet Nam’s 3,200km coastline.

Over the next 20 years, the STDe said it planned to cash in on the popularity of the sea by developing a tourism industry around salt production.

“Combining salt production with tourism is a way of capitalising on the popularity of the coast,” said Nguyen Thu Hanh, STDe’s chairperson.

Building salt parks will help to promote the industry and preserve a traditional way of life, she added.

Planned parks would have attractions such as salt caves, slides, mazes, art exhibitions, spas – even salt hotels and villages, she said.

Next month, work will start on a pilot salt park in Ha Long, in northern Quang Ninh Province and on Cat Ba island in Hai Phong.

“But to turn the idea into reality, we need every sector of the tourism industry to participate,” Hanh said.

Nguyen Quang Long, from Dong Da District, said his family holidayed in Ha Long Bay almost every year. He said the idea of a salt park sounded fascinating.

“Setting up a salt park is a great idea. I’m sure it would be really popular with tourists,” he said.

Dang Thu Ha, who owns Phi Long Sand Picture Enterprise in the southern province of Binh Thuan, said tourists were impressed by sand sculptures.

He said his firm used 80 different kinds of sand to make pictures, which tourists loved. Sculptures from salt would equally appeal, Ha said.

Le Than, director of the Binh Thuan Sea Tourism Promotion Centre, said the Mui Ne sand hill was popular with those looking to relax or go sand-skiing. He also thought salt parks would be popular with tourists.

Meanwhile, Pham Trung Luong, deputy director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, said the tourism sector had done little to exploit the central province’s coastline over the last 10 years.

“The lack of long-term and proper investment in coastal tourism means we have overlooked our region’s natural advantages,” he said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

No comments:

Post a Comment

They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.