The proposal was laid out during a meeting between Da Nang’s administration and the municipal tourism association to review the planning of Son Tra, a 60-square-kilometer peninsula ten kilometers northeast of the city center.

Experts and officials attended the meeting before a final report is drafted and submitted to the government on Wednesday as requested by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Huynh Tan Vinh, chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, restated their stance on safeguarding the peninsula's status quo and avoiding further construction of hotels there.

Vinh suggested making Son Tra a sightseeing attraction with strict codes of conduct for visitors in order to conserve the location's natural landscape.

Vinh is well-known for his outspoken objections to the development of a national tourism zone on Son Tra, which he said would require large-scale deforestation, violate laws on forest protection, biodiversity, and natural resources.

In June, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a dispatch requesting that Vinh be penalized for what it deemed to be “misleading comments” on the plan.

The controversial dispatch was withdrawn two days later, following widespread public criticism aimed at the ministry for abusing its power.

Huynh Tan Vinh, chairman of the Da Nang Tourism Association, speaks during a meeting with city authorities to review the planning on Son Tra peninsula, August 28, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Thanh Tien, deputy chief of Office of the People’s Committee of Da Nang, cited statistics from the municipal Department of Planning and Investment in saying that there were 18 approved projects on Son Tra, developed by ten different parties.

According to Tien, the city had also worked with the local military command to review and withdraw construction permits on projects that might compromise national defense.

While current government directives allow the construction of hotels and resorts on Son Tra at elevations of up to 200 meters, Tien said the city was looking to propose a reduction in this number to meet military demands.

Specifically, any accommodation establishments will only be allowed at elevations below 100 meters, while altitudes between 100 and 200 meters will be reserved for non-accommodation-based tourism projects.

The eastern and northeastern parts of the peninsula, home to a dense population of endangered wildlife and valuable plant species, will be protected from construction of any kind, Tien said, citing several studies conducted on Son Tra.

City authorities have also worked with developers in the conservation of reserved forests on the peninsula.

The landscape of Da Nang City as seen from Son Tra peninsula. Photo: Tuoi Tre News

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