A
view of Co To island (Source: VNA)
Located 80 kilometres from the mainland, the island district
comprises Co To Lon (large Co To island), Co To Be (small Co To island) and 15
smaller islands. From Cai Rong port in Van Don district, another island
district of Quang Ninh province, travellers can take high-speed boat trips that
take an hour and a half to cover the distance.
Co To’s attractions include turquoise sea and tranquil beaches along with
tropical primeval forest eco-system that is almost in its primary conditions.
Untouched and large beaches in the island are attractive with white sands and
wavy water. Hong Van, Van Chay, small Co To or beaches along Thanh Lan island
are among the best beaches of Co To.
The island is also famous for abundant fresh and diverse seafood, along with
many historical and cultural sites.
Recently, the district approved a master plan for socio-economic development of
Co To towards 2020, aiming to make the island district a national-level eco-tourism
and resort area together with the high-end sea and island eco-tourism area of
Van Don, and making Co To a key destination of the Cat Ba-Ha Long-Van Don-Co
To-Mong Cai-Tra Co tour with diverse tourism products, including sports and
entertainment centres.
A plan for tourism development to 2020 with a vision to 2030 has also been
approved, along with an action programme to make tourism a spearhead sector of
the district.
As part of efforts to lay foundation for sea and island tourism growth, Co To has
focused on developing infrastructure system, while encouraging tourism
expansion. The 17,000 cubic metre reservoir Truong Xuan as well as lakes in
Thanh Lan and Tran islands have been built. Meanwhile, transportation system
and boat fleets have been upgraded to give visitors easier access to the
island.
Co To currently has a fleet of 26 high-speed boats with up to 100 trips per
day, shortening the time to reach the island to 70-90 minutes instead of 3-4
hours in the past.
Co To has been connected to the national power grid since 2013. Roads inside
the island have been upgraded, with a 5.6km road going through the island and
connecting Co To town and Dong Tien commune as well as Co To trade centre and
fisheries logistics centre.
Community-based tourism has been encouraged, while human resources for tourism
have received adequate attention.
The connecting of tourism routes and products has also helped lure more
visitors to the island. Some outstanding products of the district include
"One-day fishermen,” "One-day soldiers,” and "Journey to homeland
islands”.
Statistics showed that the number of tourists has surged over the years. If in
2013, the district welcomed some 56,000 visitors, the figure doubled in the
following years. In 2017, the island served 320,000 tourists. In the first four
months of this year, the figure hit nearly 15,200.
In the future, the district will launch a pedestrian street and a water park
covering thousands of square metres. Meanwhile, the locality will continue
boosting community-based tourism, making Co To a national-level eco-tour and
resort centre in 2020.
Source: VNA
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