Rising tourist arrivals weigh on recreational property in Ba Ria-Vung Tau

The number of tourist arrivals in BR-VT has been on the rise over the years

The recent lunar New Year saw a surge in the number of arrivals in coastal cities, especially Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Statistics from the province’s tourism authorities showed that the number of arrivals at tourist sites, hotels, beaches, and leisure centres as of January 28 was 680,000, an on-year increase of 22.6 per cent, generating VND474 billion ($20.6 million) in revenue, up 24.7 per cent. 

According to the representatives of local tourism companies, the occupancy rate of hotels in Ba Ria-Vung Tau was between 80 and 100 per cent during the six days of the holiday. The number of visitors reserving rooms for the weekends in Ba Ria-Vung Tau currently accounts for 60 per cent of the occupancy rate, not to mention walk-in visitors.

During holidays, visitors come to Ba Ria-Vung Tau in great numbers. Most of them are families and individuals coming from the southeastern and central highlands regions. Instead of leaving within a day, an increasing number of visitors now choose to lodge in the province. 

On these occasions, Ba Ria-Vung Tau attracts a significant number of foreign visitors and overseas Vietnamese who require premium quality services. 

Ho Tram and Xuyen Moc attract lodgers by the droves

According to a report by the Department of Culture and Information of Xuyen Moc district of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, in 2019, the district posted a revenue of VND1.841 trillion ($80 million), up 23 per cent against 2018.

Ho Tram is a top site for premium recreational properties thanks to its more than 30 kilometres of beautiful coast, virgin forests, and diverse ecosystem. The problem currently facing Ho Tram, however, is the shortage of high-quality lodging services. The supply of local lodging services has yet to match demand, especially during the major holidays when there is a serious lack of premium lodges.

A growing need for recreational projects

According to the development master plan of Ba Ria-Vung Tau’s tourism sector until 2025 and orientation for 2030, the province will develop high-quality tourism to help basically transform the economic structure and make significant contribution to the development of tourism in the south-eastern region and Vietnam as a whole.

Tourism development in Ba Ria-Vung Tau is currently being promoted by the government. Supported by the infrastructure system and transport connectivity, Ba Ria-Vung Tau will become a focus of tourism in the southern region.

According to the 2030 master plan of the Ho Chi Minh City region with vision to 2050 approved by the government, Ba Ria-Vung Tau will launch a synchronous network of highways: the Ben Luc-Long Thanh highway connecting the western region with Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, the 75km Bien Hoa-Vung Tau highway connecting the province with the future Long Thanh International Airport, Bien Hoa-Vung Tau railway, the Asian Highway network, Ho Tram Airport, the undersea tunnel connecting Can Gio and Vung Tau, and many others.

For Xuyen Moc district, the province has also prioritised the development of world-class sea tourism products, together with high-quality complementary lodges and services to attract high-spending visitors, concentrated in Ho Linh, Ho Coc, and Ho Tram. 

According to the land use master plan in the 2020-2030 period, as much as 5,000 hectares of land will be reserved for the development of recreational tourism zones, combined with leisure and entertainment in Ho Tram.

Experts claim properties in Ba Ria-Vung Tau in general and Ho Tram in particular are only beginning to rise in preparation for the next step of booming development. A rise in the price of properties in Ho Tram is totally possible. This is exactly an opportunity for pioneering visionary investors to take preemptive steps and seek high profit from projects of high potential.

The potential of recreational properties is growing stronger as big players enter the market. The most prominent player is Novaland Group. In 2019, this developer introduced Novaland Ho Tram Tourism, Recreation and Entertainment Complex.

With an area of about 1,000ha, the complex, which is divided into more than 10 phases, including diverse second home product lines like street houses, villas, and shophouses beside the recreational and leisure facilities, is expected to contribute additional premium tourism products for the province.

NovaWorld Ho Tram utilises the pristine natural setting of Ho Tram and harmoniously combines forest and sea features to create a classy “recreational destination”.

In 2019, the first two phases of the project, namely The Tropicana and Sakura Beach, were already introduced to customers.

In 2020, as part of the province’s tourism development strategy and with increasingly improved infrastructure, NovaWorld Ho Tram will continue to launch its next phases. The project is seen by investors to be leading the recreational property trend in the following years by defining a new style in recreational tourism for the southern market.