Tourists have returned to beaches in north-central Vietnam for the holiday celebrating Vietnam’s Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1), one year after an environmental disaster caused by a Taiwanese firm occurred in the region.

Famous beaches in Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, and Quang Tri Provinces have welcomed back a large number of visitors during the holiday, who had been shying away since the mass fish deaths discovered last year.

A large number of dead fish washed ashore in these central provinces in early April 2016. By late June, scientists had concluded that wastewater released by a steel factory of Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group was the main reason behind the phenomenon.

Formosa then agreed to pay US$500 million in compensation.

Tourist operations have resumed this year as the sea is clean and seafood is safe to eat, according to local restaurant and hotel owners.

In Quang Binh, vacationers mainly flocked to popular beaches such as Nhat Le and Bao Ninh to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere and the taste of fresh seafood.

Duong Dinh Phuc, manager of a restaurant at Nhat Le Beach, could not hide his joy when his place was filled with people during the past couple of days.

Pham Minh Cong, owner of a nearby eatery, also reported upbeat business results.

“We have been able to sell a large amount of seafood on a daily basis. Despite the peak season, our prices remain the same so that customers will return in the next visit,” Cong said.

Tourists filled Cua Viet Beach in Quang Tri Province on May 1, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

At the Ngan He Hotel in Nhat Le, unlike last year’s holiday, all 54 rooms of the building have been fully booked between April 29 and May 2.

According to Nguyen Huu Hoai, chairman of the Quang Binh People’s Committee, these positive signs promise a leap in local tourism this year, with the number of tourists expected to reach 3.1 million.

Many beaches in Ha Tinh have also been bustling with a large number of visitors.

At Thach Hai Beach, located in the namesake district, tourists still filled the area even when the sun had begun to set.

Over 10,000 visitors, many of whom were from Hanoi and other northern provinces, have arrived at Thach Hai for the holiday, according to local authorities.

Meanwhile, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Quang Tri Province also reported that thousands of travelers had visited local beaches on April 30 and May 1.

Many restaurants have been operating with full capacity, some of which even did not have enough tables or seafood for their customers.

“It has been a while since we were this busy,” Nguyen Quang Nghia, a restaurant owner at Cua Viet Beach, stated.

Vietnam started celebrating the national holiday on Saturday. Everyone will get back to work on Wednesday.

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