Vietnam will develop sea tourism into a key driver for the maritime sector in central coastal region, according to a master economic development plan for the region to 2020.

The central is envisaged needing around VND411 trillion in 2006-2010, VND608 trillion in 2011-2015, and VND1,314 trillion in 2016-2020. Its GDP will reach around 12.5% in 2006-2010, and 12.9-13% in 2011-2020.

Priority will go to developing high quality tourism services and products to make the central a high-class sea tourism services central of Southeast Asia.

By 2020, the central provinces will have three tourism growth triangles - one involving Sam Son, Nghia Dan and Vung Ang, one comprising Phong Nha, Hue, Danang, Ba Na, Hoi An and My Son, and one consisting of Nha Trang, Dalat and Mui Ne.

Tourism will be developed along the coastal route on National High-way 1A which is home to many historical and cultural relics, and World Heritage sites.

Tourism facilities like international conferences, sport complexes, and exhibition centres will be built in tourist destinations such as Hue, Danang, Quy Nhon and Nha Trang.

The facilities should meet international standards so that they can be used for organizing international cultural, sport, tourism and entertainment events, especially sea sport activities, the plan says.

In the long-tem plan, the former imperial capital of Hue will become the festival and tourism city as well as the cultural, economic and commercial centre. Nha Trang will be turned into the country's centre for sea tourism.

The plan puts an emphasis on infrastructure development as an impetus for the tourism industry and others. Therefore, the central will get more seaports, more international airports, and a 1,314-km coastal road linking the provinces from Thanh Hoa to Binh Thuan. (SGT)