To adjust conservation planning condao historic vestiges, to increase in legal basis for development of Con Dao district

With the advantages, inherent potential and investment of State andBR-VT province,Con Dao tourism developed stronglyboth infrastructure and the number of visitors to Con Dao annually. For example, Con Dao tourism has animpressive growth, which more than 134 thousand tourists visit in 2015, up 38% over the same period last year. There are over 28 thousand international passengers in this figure. Total tourism revenue reached 650 billion, up nearly 40% compared to 2014 and accounted for over 85% in the economic structure of Con Dao. Lately Con Dao has turned familiar on the tourist map, become anattractive destination with many domestic and foreign tourists.

Beside the advantages, potentialsand great historical values that Con Dao has preserved, the legal basis also contributed to development Con Dao tourism. The legal basis are legal documents such as: Decision No. 54 dated on 29th April 1979of the Ministryof Culture and Information especially recognized Con Dao Prison as the cultural and historic relic; Decisiondated on 05th October 2012 of the Prime Minister ranked Con Dao Prison as one of 23 the Nation’s particularly important relics.In the process of repairing documents for Con Dao Prison relic, BR-VT Museumheld many meetings with many departments of BRVT government to issue Minutes No. 10 dated on 22nd March 1998 which regulated and determined20 protected areas in the list of conservation; Decision No. 870 dated on 17th June 2015 of the Prime Minister approved "The overall plan on development of Con Dao national tourism resort by 2030 ''; And Decision No.2163 dated on 02nd December 2015 of the Prime Minister approved“The adjustment of the overall plan to preserve, restore and promote the values of Con Dao, the nation’s particularhistoric relic.”

With the demandfor strong tourism development of this beautiful island, publishing“The adjusting the overall plan Con Dao” has a particularly important mean. This decision will facilitate management, conservation and promotion of  tangible and intangible cultural values. This is the basis for building plans for conservation, restoration and proving effectively relic. This is also a legal foundation for evaluation and approval projects, as well as calling for investment. We will manage in unification of conservation, between the original areas of relics and around them and create a reasonable space for the development of culture and tourism.

According to Decision No. 2163 ofthe Prime Minister, the adjustment range of the plan was done in  Con Dao district with the following areas: group of central relic, limited by Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Le Duc Tho, Tran Phu and Ton Duc Thang street; vestige of Cow cage located on Vo Thi Sau street; Hang Duong cemetery and other relics (Ma Thien Lanh Bridge, Muoi Department, Nui Mot Temple, Ms Phi Yen Temple, West cemetery, Memorial House of Ms Vo Thi Sau).

Total of adjustment area is 110.69 ha. The protected 1 area is 41.04 hectares; the protected 2 area is 69.65 hectares.

As the adjustment plan,functional areas and conservation zones (protected 1) do not allow to build new structures. But they allow to construct new structures to promote the values ??of the relic with appropriate architectural forms in the protected 2, ...

At the same time, the content of the adjustment plan also refers to the adjustment of the technical infrastructure of transportation; supply, drainage water and sanitation; supply power and communications; ... According to the decision approved, capital investment is from the State and other sources. Time of implementation is 15 years, from 2016 to 2030, divided into 3 phases: Phase 1 (2016 - 2020); Phase 2 (2021 - 2025) and Phase 3 (2026 - 2030).

Target of the adjustment plan is to conserve, restore and enhance the values of Con Dao, the nation’s particularly important relic and to honor the sacrifice of indomitable revolutionary soldierswho fought for the national liberation, educate the future generations about traditional struggle. The appropriate conservation extent can both meet the requirements of the relics preserving in the new situation and satisfy the needs of economic - social development of Con Dao district.

Con Dao, arevolutionaryand historicvestige is the nation’s special historic relic. Over more than 100 years of history, it became the spiritual and attractive tourism place for not only Vietnamese but also international visitors. We hope that the adjustment plan and enhance the values of Con Dao’s relics will create the diversification and opulence of tourism products on the principles of conservation, promoting the values of relics combine with develop economy, sustainable tourism of the island district, improve material and spiritual life forcitizen of Con Dao district; make Con Dao become an eco-tourism and cultural - historical - spiritual island with high quality in the Asia region and worldwide.