Ninh Thuan (VNA) – The south central coastal province of Ninh Thuan has invested in expanding tourism, particularly homestay services, thanks to itsadvantages on natural charm and culturalrichness.

Ninh Thuan boasts a 105kmcoastline with many pristine beaches, such as Binh Tien, NinhChu and Ca Na. Its Vinh Hy Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in Vietnam, and the Nui Chua National Park is home to 1,500 plant species, 160 bird species and 60 mammalspecies.

Theprovince, the driest and hottest region in the country, is well known for vastgardens of grapes, jujube, garlic, aloe vera, green asparagus and hot peppers as well as large farming of sheep and goat.

According to the provincialDepartment of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ninh Thuan houses about 50 tangibleand intangible cultural and historical relics, including 12 national-level and two special national-level relics.

Cham pagodas with unique architecture have been an iconof Ninh Thuan province for centuries. Especially, it must be a fascinatingexperience when visiting well-preserved Cham tower complex, including Po KlongGarai and Hoa Lai towers which were recognised as special national architecturalrelic sites.

In addition, the province has been renowned for a line-upof festivals such as the Whale Worshipping, leaving tomb of the Raglai ethnicgroup, and Kate, Chabun and Ramuwan of Cham ethnicpeople.

Homestay services arebecoming more popular, allowing visitors to explore the local natural beautyand cultural diversity. Many locals have spent money to transform farming landsinto eco-tour destinations for tourists, such as Inra Jaka Champa Homestay andCharaih Lotus Cultural and Ecological Tourist Area in My Nghiep Brocade WeavingVillage in Phuoc Dan township, Ninh Phuoc district; the grape village of ThaiAn in Ninh Hai district; and Peace Home Homestay in Thuan Bac district.

People in Thai Anh villageused to live on only grape farming which allowedthem to earn just about 25,000 VND per kg. Now they can earn more from ecotoursto their vineyards that give tourists real life experience of how to cultivateand harvest the local specialty.

The mountainous district ofNinh Son has a similar idea. Last year, the local authority opened a600-hectare fruit garden named Lam Son at the foot of Ngoan Muc pass to tourists. During this summer, the garden often welcomesabout 200 – 300 visitors daily to enjoy different specialty fruits.

The Ninh Son People’s Committee has taken various measures to supportthe villagers expand eco-tour businesses at fruit gardens and further promotethe local fruits, culture and cuisine among the travellers. It is consideringto provide garden owners with soft loans to ugrade their service quality,meeting the rising demand of visitors.

This year, the provincialPeople’s Committee has allocated funds to develop rural infrastructure aroundpopular ecotourism sites. These sites will be financially supported to buildstilt houses and rest rooms; install waste treatment system; provide trainingfor service providers and staff; and promote tourism products.

In2018, NinhThuan welcomed 2.19 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 15.3 percent.Tourism turnover reached 1.05 trillion VND (45 million USD), ayear-on-year increase of 18.9 percent.

The province has 145accommodation facilities with a total of 3,100 rooms. – VNA