Chairman of the People’s Committee of the northern province of Quang Ninh’s Co To island district Tran Nhu Long on June 21^st advised tourists not to visit Co To island during power disruption time to reduce electricity and water supply pressure in the island.

The 22kV power transmission system is being fixed. (Photo: VNA)

Long said that amidst power loss and restriction in water supply, the island may not able to provide basic services to tourists if the number of visitors to the island is too large.

He suggested tourists choose other similar tourist destinations in the province such as Quan Lan, Ngoc Vung and Ban Sen islands of Van Don district.

The Co To authorities will inform people and tourists as soon as power is resumed, said Long.

In the peak tourism season, Co To welcomes 7,000-10,000 tourists per day. But the island can supply the best services to only 5,000 visitors daily.

Earlier on June 18^th, lightning damaged the 22KV power transmission line that provides electricity for Co To island district and five communes of Van Don island district of Quang Ninh, disrupting electricity supply for the islands for days.

The transmission line’s section in Ba Mun island of Co To district was struck by lightning at 13:37 on June 18^th.

Supply was resumed for the communes in Van Don district early the next day, but the Quang Ninh power company is yet to fix the line transmission to Co To.

The company said the power cut will continue on the island for a couple of days, noting that difficult terrains and unfavourable weather conditions are hindering repairing work. Disruption of electricity has also resulted in difficulties in supplying water.

Co To island district has been connected to the national power grid since 2013 and the power failure may affect local tourism activities.

The district People’s Committee has informed local people and businesses on the blackout incident so that they can prepare for power generators during the time of power outage.

Co To, dubbed “a green pearl”, is one of the farthest inhabited islands from the mainland. But it is now experiencing speedy tourism development.

Located 80 kilometres from the mainland, the island district comprises Co To Lon (large Co To island), Co To Be (small Co To island) and 15 smaller islands. From Cai Rong port in Van Don district, another island district of Quang Ninh province, travellers can take high-speed boat trips that take an hour and a half to cover the distance.

Co To’s attractions include turquoise sea and tranquil beaches along with tropical primeval forest eco-system that is almost in its primary conditions.

Untouched and large beaches in the island are attractive with white sands and wavy water. Hong Van, Van Chay, small Co To or beaches along Thanh Lan island are among the best beaches of Co To.

The island is also famous for abundant fresh and perse seafood, along with many historical and cultural sites.

Statistics showed that the number of tourists has surged over the years. If in 2013, the district welcomed some 56,000 visitors, the figure doubled in the following years. The island served 320,000 tourists in 2017 and nearly 15,200 in the first four months of this year./.

VNF/VNA