Expanding many airports helps develop local tourism

NC-212i aircraft with registration number 8992 carrying the working delegation from Tan Son Nhat airport just landed on the runway of Phan Thiet airport. Photo: File.

According to the Vietnam tourism development program for the period 2022-2026, the expectation for 2026 is to serve about 18 million international visitors and 85 million domestic visitors. For tourism and aviation, this is not simply a cooperative relationship, but also a decisive factor for the prosperity and sustainable development of the tourism industry in particular and the economy in general. For tourism development, we cannot mention the aviation market. The close connection between localities, tourism and aviation will not only help increase visitors' access to destinations, but also play an important role in building a sustainable tourism ecosystem. Therefore, currently, airports such as Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Chu Lai (Quang Nam), Con Dao (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) are being called for investment by localities in the form of public-private partnerships (PPP). Accordingly, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province has just proposed that the Government assign the province as the competent authority to implement the investment project of Chu Lai airport under the PPP form with a total investment of 11,000 billion VND. To prepare infrastructure works to serve APEC 2027, Kien Giang province is preparing to invest in expanding and upgrading Phu Quoc airport under the PPP form. Currently, Sun Group and IPP Group have proposed to invest in upgrading items such as terminals, taxiways, parking lots, building new VIP guest houses, etc. Con Dao airport is also expected to be invested in, upgraded and expanded under the PPP form. In December 2024, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province proposed the Ministry of Construction to study the planning, investment in upgrading and expanding Con Dao airport to international airport standards under this method and the Ministry has agreed. After being upgraded, Con Dao Airport can receive international flights from Northeast Asia such as Japan, Korea and some European and American countries as high-class passengers, and at the same time receive military aircraft to serve national defense, security and sovereignty over islands. Currently, Van Don Airport (Quang Ninh) is newly invested in the form of socialization and is operating stably. In addition, Quang Tri Airport is being built under the PPP form... For Phan Thiet Airport, if the civil component is completed as planned, Vietnam Airlines will open flights to Binh Thuan in 2026 and has high expectations of welcoming a large number of international tourists. Phan Thiet Airport is a military and civil airport planned in 2013, covering 543 hectares, in Thien Nghiep Commune, Phan Thiet City and only more than 20km from Phan Thiet City center. After being upgraded from a level 4C airport to a level 4E airport, the designed capacity will be 2 million passengers per year. To date, the military category, including the runway built by the Ministry of National Defense, has been completed, putting training flight crews into operation. For the civil aviation category, it is expected that the civil category will start construction at the end of this year and be completed and put into use in 2026. If Vietnam Airlines and other airlines open flights here, with high frequency, serving the needs of domestic and foreign tourists, Binh Thuan is a locality with great potential for development, especially in tourism attracting domestic and international visitors.

The coastal route through Ham Tien ward - a place that attracts many tourists to visit and relax.

It is known that in 2024, Binh Thuan province will welcome more than 9.6 million visitors for sightseeing and relaxation, including more than 393,000 international visitors, with tourism revenue reaching over VND 25,800 billion. In 2025, the province's tourism industry aims to welcome 10.6 million visitors, including 430,000 international visitors, with revenue of VND 28,200 billion...

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/mo-rong-nhieu-san-bay-giup-du-lich-cac-dia-phuong-phat-trien-129292.html