Phu Yen: Realizing the dream of a billion-dollar tourism destination on the most unique coastline on the planet.

Mentioning Phu Yen immediately brings to mind a region with seemingly endless potential for resort tourism. This contrasts sharply with the reality that it remains relatively obscure and out of reach compared to other destinations like Nha Trang, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Phan Thiet, and Ha Long, with surprisingly modest indicators. With the goal of "awakening" this dormant paradise of golden flowers on green grass, Phu Yen now has the necessary conditions and opportunities to realize its dream of becoming a billion-dollar tourism destination on the planet's most unique coastline.

A "rough gem" isn't beautiful enough on its own.

It was only after the release of director Victor Vũ's film "Yellow Flowers on Green Grass" that the travel community and all travel enthusiasts were amazed and moved by every frame and every scene. Following the subsequent travel craze, experiencing the 200 km coastal route of Phu Yen firsthand, even a traveler who had wandered the world before was overwhelmed with emotion. Every beauty, every moment, every space left an indelible mark on their hearts, an unforgettable experience.

Conservation expert Tran Le Tra from GIZ, a UNESCO organization, once noted during a visit to the area: “Rarely does a place retain such pristine beauty, untouched by the elements, like a thousand-year-old ink painting. The mountain ranges, the fine white sandy beaches with gentle waves, the undulating fishing villages, and the distant, clear turquoise sea stretching to the horizon—it's truly an irresistible beauty. Within sight are unique scenic spots such as Ganh Da Dia, Bai Mon - Mui Dien, Bai Xep, Vung Ro Bay, Xuan Dai Bay, Song Cau, O Loan Lagoon, Cu Mong Lagoon, Van Hoa Plateau, Dai Lan Cape, Bang Beach, Bau Beach, Nom Beach, Thung Beach, Tu Nham Beach, Mai Nha Island, Ong Xa Island, Nhat Tu Son, Yen Island, Chua Island, Nua Island... these are some of the most beautiful places in the country. It's not just nature and scenery; it also bears the imprint of human hands.” The talent and diligence of its people have created unique historical, architectural, and religious structures such as: Mang Lang Church, Nhan Tower, Da Trang Pagoda, An Tho Citadel, Ong Cop Bridge, Tam Giang Dam... In addition, Phu Yen also has many distinctive festivals such as the Tam Giang River Festival, the Cau Ngu Festival… Comparing Phu Yen to a beautiful girl is accurate, but comparing it to a "beautiful gem" is certainly not wrong; the beauty of this "rough gem" needs to be polished by an artisan to become perfect.

Concerned about the state of tourism in his province, Mr. Nguyen Danh Hanh, Deputy Head of the Relics Management Board under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Yen, assessed: Phu Yen still lacks a professional tourism market and proper cultural preservation, and there are no adequate investment projects to retain tourists. Accommodation, resort, cultural, and culinary services are poor. The exploitation of famous scenic spots like Ganh Da Dia and Dai Lanh Cape still faces many problems, as tourists only look around, take pictures, and then leave! Nighttime services for tourists are almost non-existent.

Regarding the reasons why so few people know about Phu Yen, Mr. Nguyen Danh Hanh pointed out that the main reason is its isolated location: "Phu Yen is situated between two mountain passes/south of Deo Ca Pass and north of Cu Mong Pass." Furthermore, Phu Yen is "stuck" between two major tourist centers in the region, Nha Trang and Quy Nhon, so it was almost forgotten for a long time during previous decades.

Economist Vo Tri Thanh, Director of the Institute for Strategic Brand and Competition Research, assessed that the People's Committee of Phu Yen province has demonstrated its determination to make tourism a key economic sector through continuous investment promotion efforts, intensified advertising, removal of transportation bottlenecks, and improved infrastructure. In particular, the upgrading and expansion of Tuy Hoa airport, increasing its capacity to 5 million passengers per year and accommodating large aircraft such as Airbus, Boeing, and charter flights at night, is a major boost. Furthermore, the expansion of transportation routes, shortening distances, will also make it easier for travel agencies to organize tours and guide customers.

According to observations by reporters, Phu Yen has developed many resort tourism areas in accordance with the province's tourism development plan, especially in coastal districts and towns; localities with many planned tourism sites include Tuy An district and Song Cau town in the north, Dong Hoa district in the south, and Tuy Hoa city in the center of the province; in addition, some localities with scenic spots and favorable natural conditions that can be exploited for resort tourism have had general construction plans established, such as Van Hoa urban area (in Son Hoa district), O Loan urban area (in Tuy An district), La Hai urban area (in Dong Xuan district)...

According to former Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Chi Hien, in order for Phu Yen to thrive, it needs large-scale investment projects to act as a driving force, a change in management methods, open and attractive policies for investors, and the implementation of a socialized approach to investment and management of scenic spots for greater efficiency. Investors coming to Phu Yen will be provided with the most favorable conditions to do business and ensure sustainable development in the future, with the motto "The success of investors and businesses is the success of Phu Yen" – the Vice Chairman of the province further affirmed.

Billion-dollar projects polish "rough gems" into "shining gems".

Having previously caught the eye of international investors, multi-billion dollar projects from developers in Dubai, Brunei, South Korea, and the US have been approved, demonstrating the attractiveness and the challenging nature of conquering this "raw gem." However, from the perspective of a resort real estate investor, Mr. Le Dinh Vinh - Chairman of the Board of Directors of EverLand Group - believes that Phu Yen possesses extremely strong advantages as a new investment region.

"Late-developing regions also have certain advantages, such as having sufficient land for investing in large-scale projects, learning from the development experiences of more developed localities, including the development of tourism linked to environmental protection, especially the marine environment, and sustainable development, creating a foundation for long-term tourism development in the future," Mr. Le Dinh Vinh commented.

According to Mr. Le Dinh Vinh, Phu Yen also has a strategic location for trade, situated at the East-West gateway connecting the South Central coastal region with the Central Highlands and serving as a focal point for land, sea, and North-South railway transportation routes. Phu Yen is suitable for developing tourism products such as "One journey - Many destinations" and "One trip - Many experiences"...

According to statistics up to the end of 2020, Phu Yen attracted 43 resort real estate projects with a total registered investment capital of VND 43,000 billion. A series of large-scale, comprehensively planned and modern real estate projects include: Vingroup with a commercial center and townhouses project in Tuy Hoa city; APEC Group with the Apec Mandala Grand Phu Yen 5-star Condotel resort complex project with a capital of over VND 1,100 billion; TH True Milk Group with a golf course, ecological villa area, and resort project covering over 1000 hectares...

The beginning of 2021 marked the official involvement of truly prominent foreign investors in bringing the "hidden paradise" of Phu Yen to light. In April 2021, two prominent foreign partners, Indochina Capital Joint Venture and Kajima Group, completed the acquisition and restarted a resort real estate project at Bai Nom beach, which will be managed by the world-renowned Four Seasons brand, on a scale of US$1 billion.

Mr. Peter Ryder, CEO of Indochina Capital, shared: “When conceptualizing the Bai Nom project, we aimed to create an iconic project that would contribute to developing Phu Yen into a world-class resort paradise. We believe that, inspired by the beautiful natural scenery, this project is an opportunity to develop a unique architectural masterpiece that will be recognized globally and win numerous prestigious awards.”

And so, the story of positioning Phu Yen on the world tourism map is not just a story told through films or a few scattered projects, but a story of a billion-dollar tourism dream on the most unique coastline on the planet that has become a reality...

Huong Thao