In a surprising bit of good news, Mui Ne seems to be doing better than ever this year in terms of tourist numbers, with a 50% increase in visitors in March compared to 2008, with over 500,000 visitors to the area in the first 3 months of this year.

This rise highlights the growing popularity of this beach destination, which now houses a massive 70 2 to 5 star resorts, though some of the rise has been attributed to local tourists who have decided to save money and not travel overseas. Price cuts by many of the major hotels and resorts have had a considerable impact too.

Development of the resort is continuing too, with 18 projects currently underway. The report in Thanh Nien quotes a local people's committee member stating that projects that are environmentally friendly will be given a priority which is great to hear; Mui Ne has undoubtedly grown dramatically since I started visiting some years ago, yet at the same time has managed to remain attractive with the majority of developments being low rise and surrounded by gardens and so hidden from view when on the beach.