Quang Tri promotes foreign economic development

Open the door to foreign economic relations

Quang Tri has the most favorable geo-economic position in the country: Located on the North-South axis, 500km from Hanoi, 270km from Da Nang; bordering Laos to the west with a border of more than 400km, and nearly 200km of coastline to the east. Becoming the "opening gate to the world " in the Central region.

On the East-West axis, Quang Tri is the starting point of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) connecting Myanmar, Thailand, Laos with the East Sea. The Lao Bao, La Lay and Cha Lo international border gates are bustling with increasing traffic and goods. In 2024, import-export turnover through the border gates will reach more than 2 billion USD; Cha Lo alone reached more than 1 billion USD in the first 6 months of the year, setting a new record thanks to administrative procedure reform and infrastructure upgrades. At Lao Bao and La Lay, there are up to 900 trucks passing through each day, showing the strong increase in the attraction of border trade.

Hon La Port has been making an important contribution to promoting the socio-economic development of the province.

In addition, Quang Tri faces the sea with Hon La port and the My Thuy deep-water port project worth VND14,000 billion, including 10 wharves, receiving 100,000-ton ships. Phase 1 is expected to be completed in 2026, My Thuy will become an international gateway for goods from Laos and Northeast Thailand, creating a pair of interconnected ports with Hon La.

Inter-regional infrastructure is being accelerated with the North-South expressway section passing through the province completed; the unified railway is preparing for modern upgrade; Dong Hoi airport is being expanded and upgraded to serve tourism and trade. Modern logistics centers and warehouses are also planned at strategic intersections, turning transit advantages into specific economic values. All of these create conditions for Quang Tri to become the logistics and cross-border trade center of the Central region.

Attracting international resources for industry and energy

Quang Tri province has identified attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) as a breakthrough. With the motto of "accompanying investors", the province has actively promoted in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Laos, Thailand, South Korea, etc. Thanks to that, a wave of foreign investment has begun to flow into this land. In 2024, the province (before the merger) attracted dozens of new investment projects with a total registered capital of over 12,000 billion VND.

Notably, the Hai Lang LNG Power Center project - a joint venture between T&T Group (Vietnam) and Korean partners (Hanwha, KOSPO, KOGAS), with a capital of 2.3 billion USD, will build a 1,500MW gas power plant in the Southeast Quang Tri Economic Zone. This will be a large-scale gas power center, contributing to ensuring national energy security. In addition, the Quang Tri Industrial Park (500ha, Hai Lang) invested by VSIP (Singapore) - Amata (Thailand) - Sumitomo (Japan) has completed phase 1 infrastructure, promising to become a destination for large manufacturing corporations.

A corner of the B&T Wind Farm Cluster project.

In addition to LNG and the processing industry, the renewable energy sector is also developing rapidly with the B&T Wind Farm Cluster. The province is proposing to add 1,500-2,000MW of onshore wind power and 3,000MW of offshore wind power to the national power plan. Quang Tri is rising to become the clean energy center of the Central region, even aiming to export electricity to neighboring countries.

Diversify tourism, reach international level

Tourism is identified as a spearhead in foreign economic relations. Quang Tri province has diverse resources. In the north of the province, there is the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Son Doong Cave - the largest cave in the world, along with Thien Duong Cave, Tu Lan Cave... which have put Quang Tri on the international adventure tourism map, attracting many foreign tourists to explore.

The majestic beauty of Thien Duong cave.

Stretching down to the South, Quang Tri leaves its mark on historical and gratitude tourism with Quang Tri Citadel, Vinh Moc Tunnels, Truong Son National Martyrs' Cemetery, Hien Luong Bridge - Ben Hai River welcoming tens of thousands of tourists, including many veterans and martyrs' relatives from abroad.

Not only caves or relics, Quang Tri also possesses diverse sea and forest nature, suitable for developing resort and ecological tourism. Along the coast of Quang Tri, there are many beautiful pristine beaches, typically: Nhat Le, Cua Tung, Cua Viet and Con Co island, along with hot mineral springs and primeval forests. This is the foundation for developing resort and ecological tourism.

The province is focusing on promoting its image and calling for international investment with the following activities: linking Phong Nha-Hue-Hoi An tours; coordinating with Laos and Thailand to develop cross-border tourism routes through Lao Bao; many high-end coastal resort projects, golf courses, amusement parks in Dong Hoi, Con Co Island, etc. are being promoted for investment. In particular, the province aims to upgrade Dong Hoi airport and soon open direct international flights from Korea, Thailand, and Japan. Quang Tri tourism brand is shaped with the elements of "history-discovery-uniqueness", aiming at the global market.

Aspiration for double-digit growth

With its existing potential and advantages, Quang Tri is facing a great opportunity to break through and rise up. In the period of 2021-2025, the GRDP of the two old provinces increased by an average of 7%/year - a good level but not commensurate. In the period of 2026-2030, Quang Tri aims for double-digit growth/year. In 2025, the province strives to reach 8% GRDP - creating a solid foundation for the breakthrough period.

The provincial government has specified its goals with an action plan, such as: reforming administrative procedures, tightening discipline, supporting businesses, and accelerating the progress of key projects. Party and Government leaders have repeatedly emphasized that Quang Tri needs to take advantage of EWEC, deeply integrate into the international economy, build an open, modern economic model, and link logistics, industry, tourism, and energy with systematic planning.

The trust and consensus of more than 1.8 million people, along with the support of the Central Government and international friends, will be the driving force to help Quang Tri realize its development aspirations. The journey of double-digit growth has begun, for a prosperous Quang Tri, contributing to the common prosperity of the country.

MSc. Tran Ngoc Lan

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202508/quang-tri-day-manh-phat-trien-kinh-te-doi-ngoai-ff214a9/