Hanoi has approved new golf projects as part of a master plan to develop the capital city into a tourism hub.
The projects are considered important to expand new markets and increase tourist arrivals. The new projects will bring the number of golf courses in and around the city to eight.
The province also plans to turn four downtown districts into cultural and shopping areas, while suburban areas will focus on ecotourism and sports activities.
The goal is to attract 4.5 million foreign arrivals and 26.8 million local visitors, with overall tourism revenue of US$8.8 billion. Vietnam in April ordered cities and provinces to tighten controls over golf course projects to make sure they comply with environmental regulations and are not built on valuable farmland. The government also bans golf course investors from combining real estate development in their projects. One of the ruses is to present the golf courses as green areas in a housing project for community recreation purposes to meet town and country planning regulations. There are 24 golf courses currently operating in Vietnam.
Golf courses should help Vietnam to compete with neighboring countries to attract Asian golfers. However, they have become a controversial topic in the country that critics say rob the country of valuable agricultural land and are created for a very small percentage of the population. They also require a substantial supply of water that should be used for irrigation purposes.
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