Ca Mau "takes advantage of the situation" to develop tourism

Only by standing at the sacred GPS-0001 landmark once, watching the sun rise over the East Sea and set over the West Sea, can one fully appreciate the love and position of the southernmost land of the Fatherland.

Ca Mau tourism now not only has U Minh forest, Dat Mui alluvial land, but also resonates with the famous landscapes of Bac Lieu (old) and the trillion-dollar infrastructure project...

When the forest ecology harmonizes with Bac Lieu folk music

According to statistics of the Department of Culture, Sports and   Tourism in Ca Mau province, on the occasion of the September 2nd holiday alone, the province welcomed more than 120,000 visitors, an increase of nearly 20% over the same period. Dat Mui commune alone, where "the land knows how to bloom, the forest knows how to walk and the sea thrives" welcomed a record number of nearly 27,000 visitors in just a few days off.

Tourists visit Mui Ca Mau Beach, located in the Ramsar Site and World Biosphere Reserve.

Sharing with us, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Dat Mui Commune (Ca Mau Province) Tang Thien Tinh, could not hide his joy when saying that the number of visitors to the locality since the beginning of the year has increased nearly 3 times compared to the same period.

The above growth of the smokeless industry in Ca Mau comes from the advantage of Ca Mau and Bac Lieu returning to the same roof after 28 years of separation. If in the past, tourists came to Ca Mau mainly to immerse themselves in the "golden forest" ecosystem of two UNESCO-recognized national parks, Mui Ca Mau and U Minh Ha, now that journey has become more complete.

Tourists experience canoeing through the forest at Mui Ca Mau National Park.

That new land has been enriched with cultural and historical depth from the old Bac Lieu. It is the cradle of the art of Southern amateur music - a UNESCO Heritage; the mysterious spiritual attraction of Quan Am Phat Dai, or Tac Say Church; it is also the "salt and love" fields that have existed for hundreds of years in the coastal area of ​​Bac Lieu...

The art of Southern amateur music is a "specialty" that has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

As Mr. Ly Vi Trieu Duong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau province said: "After the province's merger, Ca Mau possesses a harmonious combination of "golden forests, silver seas" and cultural depth. The provincial functional sector will focus on promoting this advantage, along with the application of information technology and innovation to promote the overall values ​​that the new province possesses."

When the infrastructure door opens

If the merger brings a richer “soul” to Ca Mau tourism, then the infrastructure is the “body” that is being strongly built for that “soul” to take off. And that door in Ca Mau is being created by trillion-dollar projects.

It is expected that by the end of this year, the expressway from Can Tho to Ca Mau, along with the upgraded airport, will bring the southernmost point closer to the rest of the country.

Ca Mau is accelerating the completion of infrastructure to exploit the advantages of "golden forests and silver seas" to create a breakthrough for the smokeless industry.

More importantly, the historic boost in Ca Mau also comes from three key national projects that just started construction in August 2025, with a total investment of approximately 100,000 billion VND. These are the Ca Mau Airport Upgrade Project, the Dat Mui Expressway, the Hon Khoai Bridge and Hon Khoai Port. These are not only traffic projects, but also roads of hope.

Gathering specialized equipment for the construction of a sea-crossing bridge to Hon Khoai island cluster.

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tan, Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, infrastructure is making the beloved land of Ca Mau more and more accessible.

He emphasized the uniqueness of Ca Mau Cape - the only place in the country where you can watch the sunrise on the East Sea and the sunset on the West Sea.

Perspective of the sea-crossing bridge connecting to Hon Khoai Island, the project with the longest sea-crossing bridge in Vietnam to date.

“This is a place that Vietnamese people, no matter where they are, want to visit at least once,” Mr. Tan commented, believing that with the combination of traditional music, unique cuisine, and golden forests and silver seas, Ca Mau has great potential for tourism development compared to other provinces in the region.

The eco-tourism site is located in the buffer zone of U Minh Ha National Park.

Visitors enjoy experiencing the real-life scene of fishing in the U Minh Ha forest.

When the infrastructure “door” is wide open, tourists can easily find their way to Ca Mau and what will they be treated to? The answer lies in the vast cajuput and mangrove forests.

Ca Mau cuisine is considered a “treasure”. Anyone who has ever tried the famous Nam Can crab, or tasted the sweetness of Rach Goc dried shrimp, will find it hard to forget.

The recent event “The Quintessence of Ca Mau Culinary Culture 2025” has confirmed that. Culinary expert Huynh Thi Kieu Phuong (from Ho Chi Minh City) had to exclaim that, speaking specifically of crabs, Ca Mau is “number one”; even the brown fish, the meat is as delicious as nowhere else.

Chefs show off their skills in preparing Ca Mau crab specialties at the event "Quintessence of Ca Mau culinary culture 2025".

However, Ms. Phuong also gave a slight suggestion that Ca Mau specialties need to be elevated to a higher level. “Like the very typical dish of ‘braised brown fish with fruit’, why not try pan-frying it and changing it to a European style?”, she suggested. It is a matter of creativity, turning local products into high-class culinary experiences, not just stopping at rustic dishes.

Untangling the "knots" on the road to reaching out

Despite having “heavenly time and favorable terrain”, Ca Mau tourism is facing internal “bottlenecks” that need to be resolved. That is the intra-provincial traffic infrastructure on key tourist routes. The province has outlined a golden tourism chain: U Minh Ha National Park - Hon Da Bac - Bac Ba Phi relic - 1954 Northward gathering wharf.

U Minh fish sauce hotpot sets Vietnam record for biggest fish sauce hotpot at "U Minh Forest Fragrance" Festival.

But in reality, according to Ms. Ngo Huynh Trang, Director of Ca Mau-ECO Tourist Area, it is a series of "bottlenecks". Ms. Trang describes the inconvenience: "Passengers take a 45-seat bus to U Minh, but if they want to go to Hon Da Bac, they have to change to a 16-seat bus. Then this bus cannot go straight to Bac Ba Phi Monument or the assembly wharf. It is this difficult traffic that makes travel companies reluctant to exploit the route".

The second barrier is about the mechanism. Ms. Trang pointed out a fact: "Our tourist destination is located next to U Minh Ha National Park, but we have not yet participated in the exploitation of sightseeing services."

Ms. Trang hopes for a more "open" mechanism so that businesses like Ca Mau-ECO can contribute to exploiting and developing the inherent tourism potential.

A corner of Ca Mau-ECO tourist area located next to U Minh Ha National Park, Ca Mau province.

Last but not least, right in the "heart" of Ca Mau Cape, the most attractive place for tourists, the quality of service has not really "satisfied visitors". Dr. Duong Duc Minh, Institute for Economic and Tourism Development Research, commented that the explanatory content at tourist attractions in Ca Mau Cape is still general, lacking in guidance, and has not created feelings of nostalgia.

According to Mr. Minh, the quality of service for group guests and accommodation infrastructure at community tourism sites need to be invested in, improved, and there must be spatial planning to serve guests in a more rhythmic and professional manner...

To resolve the above-mentioned bottlenecks, Ca Mau needs synchronous and drastic solutions, including institutional reform and investment attraction to create new momentum. Dr. Tran Huu Hiep, Vice President of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, suggested an interesting idea: Turning infrastructure into a tourism product. “Imagine tourists experiencing the sea-crossing bridge to Hon Khoai port when completed... That promises to be a unique tourism product,” he suggested.

Regarding connectivity, Dr. Duong Duc Minh noted that Ca Mau must be closely connected with major centers such as Can Tho, An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City. Each trip must be turned into a journey of "Touching the South Pole - Anchoring emotions" so that visitors can stay longer and return.

The above ideas are not far from reality, but are right in the strategic orientation of Ca Mau province. The Resolution of the 1st Congress of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee (term 2025-2030) has identified services and tourism as one of the three pillars of economic development. The province aims to reach 11.5 million visitors by 2030, making Ca Mau a center of ecological, cultural and spiritual tourism unique to the Mekong Delta region.

At the workshop "Positioning the Ca Mau tourism brand" at the end of September, Secretary of the Ca Mau Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Ho Hai also made a very strong commitment: "Turning potential into reality is a process, requiring determination and unity. I think the role of businesses is the greatest. As the provincial leader, I commit to the province's determination, will accompany the policy and create favorable conditions for development."

The Ca Mau tourism boat is having a favorable wind…! But to really set sail, in addition to making the most of the advantages from mergers and infrastructure, Ca Mau needs to overcome its internal limitations in terms of mechanisms, services and internal connection infrastructure. Only then will the southernmost land of the country truly become a key pole of tourism in the Mekong Delta and the whole country.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/ca-mau-thuan-the-day-thuyen-de-phat-trien-du-lich-20251031094705834.htm