Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a plan to develop culture, sports and tourism in the key central economic region through 2020 with a vision towards 2030.

Under the plan, the five provinces of Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh will become major sports centres and national tourism hubs with highly competitive products.

The region will focus on promoting its sea and islands and heritage tourism potential, and preserve and uphold the value of world and national heritage sites.

Priorities will be given to the development of ecological tourism, tourism and convalescence, spiritual tourism and tourism products that are linked with events, festivals and history.

National tourism sites Lang Co-Canh Duong (Thua Thien-Hue); Son Tra, Ba Na (Da Nang); Cham Islands (Quang Nam); My Khe (Quang Ngai); Phuong Mai (Binh Dinh) will be further developed.

Bai Choi folk song documents will also be submitted to UNESCO recognition as a world intangible cultural heritage in 2015.

Da Nang and Hue are expected to become cultural, art and scientific research centres in the region.

The master plan has a target of welcoming 10 million foreign visitors and 15 million domestic guests to the region by 2030, creating 140,000 direct jobs.

Earlier in October this year, the PM also approved a master plan to develop the key central economic region towards 2020, with a vision to 2030. Accordingly, the region will reach economic growth of 8 per cent by 2015 and 9 per cent from 2016-2020. GDP per capita is expected to reach VND80 million (US$3,800), approximately 1.1 – 1.2 times more than the national average.