Quang Ninh (VNA) – Lightning has damaged the 22KV power transmissionline that provides electricity for Co To island district and five communes ofVan Don island district in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh,disrupting electricity supply for the islands for days.

The transmissionline’s section in Ba Mun Island of Co To district was struck by lightning at13:37 on June 18.

Supply was resumedfor the communes in Van Don district early the next day, but the Quang Ninhpower company is yet to fix the line transmission to Co To.

The company said thepower cut will continue on the island for a couple of days, noting thatdifficult terrains and unfavourable weather conditions are hindering repairingwork.

Co To islanddistrict has been connected to the national power grid since 2013 and the powerfailure may affect local tourism activities.

The district People’s Committee has informed local people and businesses on theblackout incident so that they can prepare for power generators during the timeof power outage.

Co To, dubbed “a green pearl”, is one of the farthest inhabited islands fromthe mainland. But it is now experiencing speedy tourism development.

Located 80 kilometres from the mainland, the island district comprises Co ToLon (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 Ninhprovince, travellers can take high-speed boat trips that take an hour and ahalf to cover the distance.

Co To’s attractions include turquoise sea and tranquil beaches along withtropical primeval forest eco-system that is almost in its primary conditions.

Untouched and large beaches in the island are attractive with white sands andwavy water. Hong Van, Van Chay, small Co To or beaches along Thanh Lan islandare among the best beaches of Co To.

The island is also famous for abundant fresh and diverse seafood, along withmany historical and cultural sites.

Recently, the district approved a master plan for socio-economic development ofCo To towards 2020, aiming to make the island district a national-leveleco-tourism and resort area together with the high-end sea and island eco-tourismarea of Van Don, and making Co To a key destination of the Cat Ba-Ha Long-VanDon-Co To-Mong Cai-Tra Co tour with diverse tourism products, including sportsand entertainment centres.

A plan for tourism development to 2020 with a vision to 2030 has also beenapproved, along with an action programme to make tourism a spearhead sector ofthe district.

As part of efforts to lay foundation for sea and island tourism growth, Co Tohas focused on developing infrastructure system, while encouraging tourismexpansion. The 17,000 cubic metre reservoir Truong Xuan as well as lakes inThanh Lan and Tran islands have been built. Meanwhile, transportation systemand boat fleets have been upgraded to give visitors easier access to theisland.

Community-based tourism has been encouraged, while human resources for tourismhave received adequate attention.

The connecting oftourism routes and products has also helped lure more visitors to the island.Some outstanding products of the district include “One-day fishermen,” “One-daysoldiers,” and “Journey to homeland islands”.
Statistics showed that the number of tourists has surged over the years. If in2013, the district welcomed some 56,000 visitors, the figure doubled in thefollowing years. In 2017, the island served 320,000 tourists. In the first fourmonths of this year, the figure hit nearly 15,200.-VNA