Ca Mau: Developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector

Enhance connectivity and develop tourism.

Tourists can experience trekking through the forest and exploring the mangrove ecosystem at the Ca Mau Cape National Park - Ramsar Site - World Biosphere Reserve.

Located at the southernmost tip of Vietnam, Ca Mau boasts abundant forests, seas, and a rich and diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna. It offers a unique and rich culinary heritage , with over 200 species of aquatic life found in brackish, saltwater, and freshwater environments. Furthermore, Ca Mau possesses numerous characteristics ideal for ecotourism development, including forests, seas, seafood, waterways, natural landscapes, a rich revolutionary history, and distinctive traditional folk festivals.

The basic road transport infrastructure is well-developed, ensuring connectivity and synchronization to major tourist destinations (Cape Ca Mau, Khai Long, Hon Da Bac, Ca Mau Cape National Park, U Minh Ha National Park). In particular, the Ho Chi Minh Highway to Cape Ca Mau and the Southern coastal corridor road play a crucial role in developing intra-provincial, inter-provincial, and international tourism routes.

With these advantages, the challenge for Ca Mau's tourism industry is how to develop tourism effectively to attract a large number of domestic and international tourists to the locality.

"To develop tourism effectively and attract a large number of domestic and international tourists to Ca Mau, in the coming time, travel businesses inside and outside the province and service providers need to connect and trade, opening up opportunities for cooperation and sustainable development," Mr. Tieu Minh Tien - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau province, expressed his wish.

Tourists experience setting crab traps in shrimp ponds at the community tourism site of Mr. Tran Van Huong (Con Mui hamlet, Dat Mui commune, Ngoc Hien district, Ca Mau province).

The Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau province also stated: Authorities will create favorable conditions for local tourism businesses to exchange experiences and develop unique and diverse tourism products for Ca Mau; encouraging travel agencies to be creative in developing new tours, routes and tourism products, and creating a close network of connections with partners inside and outside the province.

Authorities at all levels will also promote initiatives and share technological knowledge, especially the application of high technology in promoting and developing ecotourism and community tourism, along with experiences in attracting international tourists, helping to make Ca Mau an attractive destination on the tourism map.

Ecotourism associated with mangrove forests - agricultural tourism

According to Mr. Tran Anh Canh - Director of Binh Minh Tourism Consulting and Development Company (Ho Chi Minh City): “To maximize Ca Mau's tourism potential, it is necessary to focus on effectively exploiting the local potential and strengths. At the same time, tourism development should be sustainable, preserving national cultural identity, protecting the environment, maintaining ecological balance, and ensuring security, order, and social safety. Furthermore, it is crucial to promote the socialization of tourism, raise awareness among the local community, and mobilize resources for tourism development investment.”

In particular, the focus is on improving the quality and diversifying tourism products and services; creating unique and highly competitive tourism products that attract tourists. This will build Ca Mau into an attractive, unique, and hospitable destination. The key competitive tourism products include geographical tourism; beach and island tourism; ecotourism associated with mangrove forests; and agricultural tourism.

Attention should be paid to the domestic tourism market, as this is a regular source of tourists who are very interested in the location of Ca Mau Cape. In addition, the international tourism market should be given importance in the future.

Tourists can experience setting fish traps, catching eels, and collecting honey at the 10 Ngọt community tourism site (Hamlet 4, Khánh Bình Tây Bắc Commune, Trần Văn Thời District).

"Ca Mau needs to focus on exploiting its ecotourism potential as a key service industry for the province, with policies to support and create favorable conditions for ecotourism destinations, travel companies within the province, and travel companies from outside the province to jointly promote the development of Ca Mau tourism," Mr. Tran Anh Canh added.

In recent years, ecotourism and community-based tourism in Ca Mau have increasingly attracted domestic and international tourists to visit and experience new and attractive tourism products.

A prominent tourist attraction is the Ca Mau mangrove forest – one of the world's wetland ecosystems, offering high ecological value. These natural mangrove and melaleuca forests are not only home to many species of plants and animals but also provide an ideal setting for exploration, photography, and experiences.

Catching mud crabs at night at Hoang Hon tourist spot (Dat Mui hamlet, Dat Mui commune, Ngoc Hien district).

Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien (Manager of Hoang Hon Trading, Service, Construction and Tourism Company Limited, Dat Mui Hamlet, Dat Mui Commune, Ngoc Hien District) said: “Visitors who come here can admire the mangrove ecosystem, experience being immersed in nature, try catching clams, and paddleboarding. Especially, tourists can join the locals in crabbing, searching for mud crabs, and harvesting shrimp from ponds; and enjoy delicious local dishes.”

In the future, the Hoang Hon eco-tourism site will develop more community-based tourism models and exciting experiences with new tours. It will promote the development of new, attractive tourism products along the forest trail; restore the traditional three-room house without doors, and build a monkey bridge in the forest for tourists to take photos.”

It can be said that, over the past period, the collective efforts of all levels and sectors in Ca Mau province, especially the dedication, striving for development, and tireless contributions of businesses operating in the tourism sector, have helped Ca Mau's tourism industry develop impressively, in terms of appearance, product and service quality, and visitor numbers. This has created a new picture, a new momentum, and a new impetus for Ca Mau tourism.

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/ca-mau-phat-trien-du-lich-tro-thanh-nganh-kinh-te-mui-nhon-post533724.html