Novaland partners Michael Dukakis to promote $5-billion tourism city

Novaland leaders have not been discouraged by the rampant Covid-19 pandemic which has been casting a shadow on the world’s tourism industry, to continue working with leading consultants and partners around the world with the aim to realize one of the country’s biggest tourism projects.

In a latest move, Novaland chairman Bui Thanh Nhon met last week with leaders and professors of Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation to discuss their joint initiatives at the NovaWorld Phan Thiet, a mammoth tourism development the company is developing in the southern province of Binh Thuan.

Although the meeting was held online as the Covid-19 is still impeding normal travel between Vietnam and the US, the attendance of the American elite, including Michael Dukakis, former Governor of Massachusetts and chairman of the institute of the same name, and professor Vint Cerf, the father of the Internet and currently Google’s vice president, has partly expressed Novaland’s ambition to seek a global appeal for its mega project.

One month after the two sides inked a strategic cooperation agreement, they signed a deal to set up an affiliate of Michael Dukakis Institute in Vietnam, which will be located in NovaWorld Phan Thiet.

This facility will organize AIWS Leadership Education Program that will be lectured by the world’s leaders, professors from the Michael Dukakis Institute and the Artificial Intelligence World Society Innovation Network.

In addition, the American Institute will support Novaland to deploy a number of AI initiatives at NovaWorld Phan Thiet such as building building AIWS Square, the History of AI House, Michael Dukakis House, Vint Cerf House and to connect this tourism city to the AIWS City in 2021.

In particular, Michael Dukakis who was a Democrat nominee for US presidency in 1988 will advise Novaland how to turn NovaWorld Phan Thiet into one of the world’s highlights of technological and cultural innovation in the AI century and a destination for leaders, innovators and startups to meet and work via its connection to AIWS City and AIWS University network.

“We are willing to work with Novaland Group to build NovaWorld Phan Thiet into an innovation centre of both technology and culture in the era of AI”, Michael Dukakis said at the online signing ceremony last week.

Professor Vint Cerf added that he and his colleagues from well-known universities would bring initiatives and new solutions to Vietnam.

Despite a symbolic sign ceremony at the time of Covid-19 pandemic, Novaland leaders have shown their determination to develop NovaWorld Phan Thiet beyond a normal tourism real estate project which usually builds and sells property.

Nhon affirms that the partnership with Michael Dukakis Institute will further increase the value of NovaWorld Phan Thiet as a novel and unique destination for the world and a gathering place for the elite and innovative leaders in the AI era.

The cooperation is a part of Novaland’s ambitious plan to develop NovaWorld Phan Thiet, a famous region for its blue seas and white sand, to become a mega seaside tourism city in the future. With a total development cost of nearly $5 billion, NovaWorld Phan Thiet spans across 1,000 hectares with 7 kilometres of coastline and is the largest tourism project under construction in Vietnam for the time being.

NovaWorld Phan Thiet is expected to change Vietnam’s tourism landscape radically as the country is still lack of attractive large-scale tourism projects that can appeals global tourists.

Binh Thuan province, which was once referred as resort capital of Vietnam thanks to a booming construction of small resorts more than a decade ago, has so far not managed to build any large-scale tourism complexes.

As Novaland leaders have proven strong confidence in the future of the country’s tourism development despite hiccups caused by the coronavirus, they are developing mammoth tourism properties as one of its three business cores. In addition to NovaWorld Phan Thiet, the company is developing other NovaWorld projects in Ba Ria Vung Tau province and the Mekong Delta, each covers more than 1,000 hectares.

The company is partnering with other consultants and operators around the world to increase the attraction of NovaWorld projects. It has worked with brand names in different fields from South Korea, Germany and Australia to provide services and infrastructures for NovaWorld Phan Thiet before signing with Michael Dukakis Institute.

For instance, Novaland has contracted Greg Norman, a golf legend who has won 90 world championships in his career, to design and build a 36-hole golf course cluster at NovaWorld Phan Thiet. It has also inked an agreement with the Vietnam Tennis Federation for ATP 250 contest to be held at NovaWorld Phan Thiet.

In term of health care, Novaland intends to bring in many big names to Phan Thiet. Global Plastic from South Korea will build an international plastic surgery centre while MediVerbund AG from Germany will establish a joint venture with Novaland to run a clinic. In addition, the Cuban Ministry of Health will advise the company on building a communal health system at NovaWorld Phan Thiet.

“We will cooperate with many partners to develop the health care system and communal health care at NovaWorld Phan Thiet in tune with international standards as we aim to build it into a world beach city for wellness and tourism,” said Nhon.

Other international big names will also move in NovaWorld Phan Thiet. Daemyung Sono, Korea's leading entertainment corporation, will operate a theme park and water park while Finns Beach Club will run the 16-hectare Bikini Beach. There will be many international hotel brands operating more than 20 planned hotels and resorts in this destination.

"NovaWorld Phan Thiet has sufficient ingredients to become a global destination," said Nhon.