Con Dao new passenger port opens for tourists
A new passenger port in Con Dao island district in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has received the first high-speed boat carrying over 200 passengers to the popular tourist destination, according to the Management Board of Ben Dam port.
The Con Dao passenger port project was approved in 2007 and then completed and put into operations in early March, having an initial investment of more than VND57 billion (US$2.43 million).
The port, located in the centre of Con Dao, is designed to receive 398 DWT vessels and expected to make it easier for visitors to reach the destination, while easing overload for Ben Dam port.
Con Dao Island, off the coast of southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, is set to become a world-class site for marine, cultural, historic and spiritual tourism, according to a revised plan for Con Dao development by 2045.
The plan has been revised to better boost tourism on the island, protect and promote its historic relics and preserve the ecosystem of the Con Dao National Park, a Ramsar site of wetlands of international importance and home to 1,077 species of vascular plants and 155 species of fauna.
Last year, despite impacts of COVID-19, the district welcomed 523,515 tourists, an increase of more than 110% over the same period in 2021, including 9,215 foreigners.
The 16-island archipelago of Con Dao is located 180km from Vung Tau city, and about 230km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City. It has a land area of nearly 6,000ha and a water surface of 14,000ha.