Quang Ninh (VNA) – Co To island in the northern province ofQuang Ninh has attracted many visitors due to its untouched beauty and perfectconditions for sea and island tourism.

Located 80 kilometres from the mainland, the island district comprisesCo To Lon (large Co To island), Co To Be (small Co To island) and 15 smallerislands. From Cai Rong port in Van Don district, another island district ofQuang Ninh province, travellers can take high-speed boat trips that take anhour and a half to cover the distance.

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

Untouched and large beaches in the island are attractive with whitesands and wavy water. Hong Van, Van Chay, small Co To or beaches along ThanhLan island are among the best beaches of Co To.

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

Recently, the district approved a master plan for socio-economicdevelopment of Co To towards 2020, aiming to make the island district anational-level eco-tourism and resort area together with the high-end sea andisland eco-tourism area of Van Don, and making Co To a key destination of theCat Ba-Ha Long-Van Don-Co To-Mong Cai-Tra Co tour with diverse tourismproducts, including sports and entertainment centres.

A plan for tourism development to 2020 with a vision to 2030 has alsobeen approved, along with an action programme to make tourism a spearheadsector 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 encouragingtourism expansion. The 17,000 cubic metre reservoir Truong Xuan as well aslakes in Thanh Lan and Tran islands have been built. Meanwhile, transportationsystem and boat fleets have been upgraded to give visitors easier access to theisland.

Co To currently has a fleet of 26 high-speed boats with up to 100 tripsper day, shortening the time to reach the island to 70-90 minutes instead of3-4 hours in the past.

Co To has been connected to the national power grid since 2013. Roadsinside the island have been upgraded, with a 5.6km road going through theisland and connecting Co To town and Dong Tien commune as well as Co To tradecentre and fisheries logistics centre.

Community-based tourism has been encouraged, while human resources fortourism have received adequate attention.

The connecting of tourism routes and products has also helped lure morevisitors to the island. Some outstanding products of the district include “One-dayfishermen,” “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 inthe following years. In 2017, the island served 320,000 tourists. In the firstfour months of this year, the figure hit nearly 15,200.

In the future, the district will launch a pedestrian street and a waterpark covering thousands of square metres. Meanwhile, the locality will continueboosting community-based tourism, making Co To a national-level eco-tour andresort centre in 2020.-VNA