Seaports in central Vietnam are not yet operating at full capacity due to limited cargo volumes. To achieve growth, solutions are needed to attract goods and tourists through seaports, including free trade zones, export processing zones, and industrial parks.

Accoring to Mr. Hoang Hong Giang, Deputy Director of the Department of Maritime and Inland Waterways (Ministry of Construction), the growth rate of cargo through Vietnamese ports has been very rapid, with a target of 1.5 billion tons per year by 2030. Therefore, investment is needed to meet the target, especially for shared infrastructure.

Seaports in central Vietnam are strategic connection points between the mainland and the sea, between the Greater Mekong Subregion and international markets, thereby facilitating the flow of goods, services, and attracting development investment along the route.

To attract goods and tourists through seaports, he emphasized five important solutions.

First, it is necessary to establish a regional coordination mechanism for these seaports. Policies should be implemented to reduce infrastructure fees and offer incentives for logistics and cruise tourism.

Second, central Vietnam needs to expand and enhance port capacity. Specialized passenger terminals should be developed in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Synchronous connection of the North-South Expressway, East-West Corridor, expressways connecting seaports and the Central Highlands, and railway connections to seaports according to planning are also crucial.

Third, it is necessary to establish inter-regional logistics centers  in Da Nang city and the provinces of Nghe An, Quy Nhon, and Khanh Hoa, serving both import-export and providing passenger vessel services; while value-added services should be promoted. The development of smart port and green port models, applying digital technology (E-port, Smart Port), is also vital to reduce procedures and save time for both cargo and passengers.

Fourth, it should focus on exploiting key export goods such as agricultural products (coffee, pepper, rubber, timber) from the Central Highlands; minerals, construction materials, and processed industrial goods from coastal economic zones.

Fifth, solutions for international cooperation and integration into global value chains by promoting the role of the East-West economic corridor gateway, attracting transit goods from Laos, Northeast Thailand, and Myanmar through Vietnam's central ports, and linking with international shipping lines and cruise tourism corporations to open direct container shipping routes and regular passenger routes. Furthermore, it is necessary to call for private and foreign investment in seaport infrastructure, logistics, and passenger terminals to elevate these seaports into international destinations.