Vietnam’s northern province of Ha Giang has announced plans to host a casino at a UNESCO-designated Global Geological Park.
The casino will be part of a 2.7-square-kilometer tourism complex in the Dong Van highlands that will include hotels, restaurants and other leisure attractions, targeted for completion by 2020, according to news reports.
Sen Chin Ly, vice chairman of the province, said the project has been approved by the central government as a “preservation” project aiming at promoting the geological park and boosting the local economy, which is composed of about 250,000 people, mostly ethnic minorities, 70% of them H’mong. The approval means interested parties can start applying to invest in the project.
Only foreign passport holders are allowed to gamble in Vietnamese casinos.
The highlands, encompassing more than 2,300 square kilometers, is recognized as one of the most beautiful—if not the most beautiful—places in Vietnam. The recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was awarded in 2010 for its value as a center of minority culture and an important place for studying the formation and development of the Earth’s surface. It is the 54th park so designated and the second in Southeast Asia.
The designation has drawn more tourists to Dong Van: 302,000 in 2011 and nearly 400,000 last year.
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