However, tourism development in this scenic destination remains underwhelming, resulting in significant untapped potential. Comprehensive solutions are needed to fully harness the tourism potential of this renowned natural landmark.
Not far from the centre of Thai Nguyen City, with convenient access to the Hanoi-Thai Nguyen expressway, the vast Nui Coc Lake area offers pristine waters, rolling hills, forests, and lush tea plantations. Its cool climate and beautiful landscape present significant potential for attracting investment and tourist for recreation and relaxation.
Despite being designated a national key tourist area, Nui Coc Lake's tourism scene has seen little change in recent years. There are still only a few outdated lakeside hotels, limited and monotonous recreational and dining options, and basic boats that fail to meet the growing and diverse demands of tourists. As a result, most visitors only come to Nui Coc Lake once.
In recent years, both public and private investment projects have been initiated in the Nui Coc Lake area, including a large-scale project expected to transform the tourism environment with an investment of tens of trillions of VND. However, these projects have yet to succeed. Some have been abandoned, delayed, or deemed unsuitable, leading to significant waste.
The reasons include investors lacking financial capability and experience, as well as pursuing tourism projects at Nui Coc Lake as a trend. Additionally, local residents seem unprepared to embrace tourism activities. There have been instances of planting trees and constructing buildings ahead of projects to secure compensation, causing investor hesitation. Moreover, local "seed capital" for infrastructure development to attract tourism investment remains limited.
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In addition to the Tan Thai golf course, more facilities and tourism products are needed around Nui Coc Lake to attract tourists. |
A positive sign is the Tan Thai golf course near Nui Coc Lake, with an investment of over 1,000 billion VND and covering nearly 100 hectares. Designed and constructed to international standards, the project is progressing rapidly. According to the investor, they are maximising resources with 150 vehicles, machinery, and 250 engineers, foreign experts, and workers involved in the construction.
Alongside the golf course is the high-end Tan Thai Ecological Community Tourism Village project, aimed at attracting international and high-income domestic tourists for leisure and experiences. This project is currently in preparation for implementation.
Once operational, the Tan Thai golf course will offer stunning views of Nui Coc Lake, inspiring both players and visitors. The golf course is expected to create hundreds of jobs, helping to tap into the tourism potential of Nui Coc Lake, foster a tourism mindset among local residents, and gradually promote the socio-economic development of the region.
However, Tan Thai Golf Course and the Tan Thai Ecological Community Tourism Village are still just "lone stars" in harnessing the vast tourism potential of Nui Coc Lake. A diverse range of high-quality tourism products, accommodations, and dining options is needed to attract, satisfy, and retain visitors.
To achieve this, a comprehensive master plan and zoning plan for Nui Coc Lake's tourism development are essential. Large-scale investment in a ring road around the lake is necessary to provide clear direction and a solid practical and legal foundation for creating an attractive investment environment that encourages tourism development.
Investors also hope that local authorities will invest in infrastructure outside the project boundaries, such as connecting roads, electricity, and water supply. Streamlined administrative procedures and quick land conversion processes are also critical to facilitating investment projects.
As a result, the tourism potential of this scenic destination will be unlocked, creating high-quality tourism products that attract visitors for sightseeing, experiences, recreation, and relaxation, thereby driving local socio-economic development.
