The coastal road in Ninh Thuan province is not merely a significant driver for tourism development; according to the provincial master plan, it’s also one of three crucial economic development corridors for the locality. The coastal road passing through Phan Rang – Thap Cham City is dubbed “the road of resorts.”
The Tourism Road
Nearly ten years ago, on April 16, 2015, the Ninh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee inaugurated the Ninh Thuan coastal road, spanning 106.4 km with a total investment of 4,551.3 billion VND. The project’s starting point connects with National Highway 1A in Cong Hai commune, Thuan Bac district, bordering Khanh Hoa province; its endpoint links with National Highway 1A in Ca Na commune, Thuan Nam district, near the border of Binh Thuan province.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Thanh, former Secretary of the Ninh Thuan Provincial Party Committee, once acknowledged that the coastal road contributes to better exploitation of Ninh Thuan’s coastal and near-coastal potentials and advantages, especially in renewable energy and tourism. Over nearly ten years, when discussing Ninh Thuan tourism, the picturesque coastal road, winding along the beautiful coastline, is always mentioned, attracting self-driving tourists eager to explore and conquer it.
Mr. Truong Van Tien, Director of the Ninh Thuan Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Center, affirmed that the coastal road is considered one of Vietnam’s most beautiful coastal routes. Its southern section features unique rocky mountains and distinctive dry forests. Further north lies the Nui Chua World Biosphere Reserve. From Binh Tien Beach to Vinh Hy Bay and Thai An grape village, there are numerous stopovers like Hang Rai area and the stone park. “The coastal road plays a connecting role for tourist attractions,” Mr. Tien stated.
Sharing this view, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, Director of the Ninh Thuan Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the coastal road is the core for Ninh Thuan’s tourism development. Specifically, in addition to its role in security, national defense, and economy, the coastal road is also a vital artery connecting tourist destinations. According to the Ninh Thuan tourism website (ninhthuantourism.vn), DT.701 (the coastal road connecting Phan Rang – Thap Cham City to Ca Na) and DT.702 (the coastal road from Phan Rang – Thap Cham City to Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa province) are advised as two of over 70 scenic spots and unique, famous tourist destinations in Ninh Thuan “waiting for you to discover.”
More Than Just a Destination
Associate Professor-Dr. Phan Quoc Anh (former Director of the Ninh Thuan Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism) once analyzed that if, previously, when calling for coastal tourism investment, Ninh Thuan had to “lay out the red carpet” for investors, since the coastal road’s construction began, the province has had the right to choose investors.
According to the Ninh Thuan Department of Planning and Investment, the province currently has 56 tourism projects (with a total investment of 52,469.2 billion VND) that have received investment policy decisions or investment registration certificates. Among these, 24 projects (3,971.5 billion VND) have been completed and are operational; 19 projects (39,660.7 billion VND) are under construction; and 13 projects (8,837 billion VND) have not yet commenced construction.
Specifically, in the three years from 2021-2023, capital from various economic sectors invested in tourism projects amounted to 36,908.3 billion VND, involving 23 projects. To date, 7 projects (1,940.5 billion VND) have been completed and put into operation; 10 projects (31,239.8 billion VND) are currently under construction; and 6 projects (3,728 billion VND) are finalizing legal procedures for implementation.
A resort at the foot of Nui Chua – a new World Biosphere Reserve. Projects currently under construction include ANARA Binh Tien Resort, Ninh Chu Sailing Bay, Mui Dinh Ecopark, Sunbay Park Hotel & Resort, Long Thuan Hotel – Villas Ninh Thuan, and more. The Ninh Thuan Department of Planning and Investment reported that many large-scale, high-end tourism projects have become operational and are highly effective, such as Nam Nui Chua Eco-tourism Area, Hoan My Tourist Area, Long Thuan Tourist Area, TTC Resort Premium – Ninh Thuan, etc. A common feature of these projects is their location along the DT.702 coastal road.
An Important Corridor
When asked about the infrastructure project that helped Ninh Thuan transform, Mr. Nguyen Van Vinh, Director of the Ninh Thuan Department of Transport, stated that during the 2010-2020 period, the coastal road project created a “breakthrough” for the local socio-economic development, attracting large investors to the area. “The coastal road project has created a coastal corridor, developing the marine economy. The project laid the groundwork for marine economic development,” Mr. Vinh commented.
To date, in all important provincial master plans, Ninh Thuan has identified the role and development orientation for the coastal road. It can be seen that Ninh Thuan focuses on exploiting the potential of the DT.701 section (which previously served the planning of two nuclear power plant projects). Specifically, on July 21, 2022, the Ninh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee developed a plan to implement the Construction Sub-zone Planning (1/2000 scale) for the Mui Dinh area, Thuan Nam district, Ninh Thuan province.
According to this plan, Ninh Thuan aims to develop projects in a way that creates connectivity between areas through transportation projects. Specifically, the province will upgrade and expand the access road to the project and auxiliary transportation routes, connecting to neighboring areas, with DT.701 being the main coastal artery. “Tourism zone projects primarily follow this route. The completed and operational road contributes to facilitating investment attraction to areas not yet of interest to investors, as well as making it easier for tourists to access tourist areas during their stay in the province,” stated Plan No. 3192.
Tourism and resort projects that have been and are being implemented in this planning area include Mui Dinh Ecopark, Mui Dinh Bay Tourist Area, Ho Ba Be Resort, Mui Dinh Sun Resort, Royal Ninh Thuan High-end Resort, and Ca Na Star Eco-tourism Area.
The Ninh Thuan Provincial Master Plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, identifies that among the province’s three economic development corridors, the coastal development corridor is planned along the coastal road (DT.701, DT.702) from North to South and the coastal zone. This corridor is planned for predominant tourism development associated with the Nui Chua National Park World Biosphere Reserve, developing distinctive tourism products linked to six coastal urban areas (Vinh Hy, Thanh Hai, Khanh Hai, Phan Rang – Thap Cham, Son Hai, Ca Na) and coastal tourism urban areas and functional zones detailed in the Ninh Chu National Tourist Area master plan.
Mr. Tran Quoc Nam, Chairman of the Ninh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee, informed that the master plan focuses on developing three corridors: the expressway route, the coastal road route, and expanding development along the East-West axis to create regional and inter-regional connections. “The province identifies the Southern Key Economic Zone as a new growth pole, a crucial driving force to leverage the province’s potential and advantages in seaports, dry ports, logistics service centers, industrial zones, and urban and tourism development, aiming to be eligible to establish a national coastal economic zone by 2025,” Mr. Nam stated.
Towards this goal, in Thuan Nam district, a series of large projects are being implemented. These projects share the common characteristic of being linked to the coastal road (either adjacent to it or serving as the project’s endpoint). Accordingly, Ca Na General Seaport Project Phase I, invested by Trung Nam Construction Investment Joint Stock Company, has a total planned area of 85.52 hectares and a total investment of 5,626.9 billion VND, and has been completed and is operational. The operational Ca Na seaport will promote regional economic development.
Two important transportation projects with endpoints connecting to the coastal road include the Van Lam – Son Hai Road Project, with a total investment of 372.5 billion VND and a length of over 13 km, which is nearing completion; and the Road connecting the North-South Expressway with National Highway 1 and Ca Na General Seaport Project, with a total investment of 903 billion VND and a length of 14.7 km, currently under construction. Furthermore, the Ca Na Lagoon Urban Area Project, invested by ACT Holdings Joint Stock Company, with a total area of 64.46 hectares and a total investment of approximately 4,490.85 billion VND, is also being implemented. These projects continue to affirm the future role and importance of the coastal road.
