Mekong Delta tourism continues to grow

In 2024, one of the key tourist regions of the country, the Mekong Delta, will actively develop products, increase promotion, and continue to achieve impressive results in terms of number of visitors and revenue from the tourism and service industry.

Foreign tourists visit Cai Rang floating market ( Can Tho ). Photo: Thanh Liem/VNA

Affirming position

Localities with strengths in the Mekong Delta develop diverse tourism products based on exploiting strengths from river ecosystems, natural landscapes, sea and island tourism resources, historical and cultural relics, and diverse traditional cultural values.

Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien informed that in 2024, the number of visitors to the Mekong Delta will reach over 52 million, the total revenue from tourism of localities in the whole region is estimated at over 62 trillion VND. Particularly in Can Tho city - the central urban area of ​​the region, it is estimated that in 2024, the total number of visitors will be 6.3 million, the total revenue from tourism is estimated at 6,226 billion VND. With 640 accommodation establishments, 11,000 rooms, over 70 travel businesses, more than 50 tourist areas and attractions, Can Tho continues to affirm its tourist attraction with many eco-tourism destinations in gardens, floating markets, rivers, historical and cultural relics, festivals, etc.

Kien Giang province with diverse terrain of plains, mountains, seas and islands, many scenic spots and cultural identities of ethnic communities have made a breakthrough in attracting tourists. In 2024, Kien Giang tourism welcomed more than 9.8 million visitors, an increase of 15.6% over the same period in 2023, total revenue from tourism reached over 25,000 billion VND, an increase of nearly 44% compared to 2023.

The Ba Chua Xu Festival at Sam Mountain is imbued with the culture of the people of the Mekong Delta region. Photo: Cong Mao/VNA

In the joy of the last days of 2024 when the Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival in Chau Doc city was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, An Giang province recorded outstanding tourism development results associated with historical, cultural, spiritual, and eco-tourism destinations.

In 2024, about 9 million tourists visited An Giang. In particular, key tourist areas such as: Sam Mountain National Tourist Area, Cam Mountain Tourist Area, President Ton Duc Thang Memorial Area, Tra Su Melaleuca Forest Eco-tourism Area, Ba Chua Xu Temple of Sam Mountain, Con En tourist site, Tuc Dup Hill tourist site, Chau Phong Cham village continue to have special appeal to tourists.

In Ca Mau, the southernmost land of the country, the tourism sector continues to develop positively, with about 2.15 million visitors in 2024, total tourism revenue is estimated at 3,080 billion VND, an increase of nearly 6% compared to 2023.

Meanwhile, with the local eco-tourism strength of the Dong Thap Muoi sub-region, with many specialized cultivation areas of specialties such as Cao Lanh mango, Chau Thanh longan, Lai Vung pink grapefruit, Sa Dec flowers, Thap Muoi lotus..., Dong Thap province attracted 4.2 million visitors, achieving total revenue of about 2,000 billion VND.

Innovation and improvement

Tourists explore Ca Mau mangrove forest. Photo: Hong Dat/VNA

Promoting the achieved results, in 2025, the provinces and cities of the Mekong Delta will soon propose solutions to improve tourism by actively renewing products, increasing experiences for tourists from the strengths of river ecosystems, natural landscapes, sea and island tourism resources, historical and cultural relics. At the same time, localities in the region will strengthen links to exploit tourism resources and take advantage of infrastructure advantages in clusters: An Giang - Dong Thap - Long An; Tien Giang - Ben Tre - Tra Vinh - Soc Trang; Kien Giang - Ca Mau.

A representative of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association said that provinces and cities in the region are promoting cooperation and association with Ho Chi Minh City - the most vibrant tourism market in the country, localities in the Southeast region, Cambodia and Thailand along the southern coastal corridor (Ha Tien - Rach Gia - Ca Mau).

Ho Chi Minh City and localities have stepped up promotion of destinations with unique tourism products and experiences in each locality, especially the 50 attractive tourist destinations of Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta that have just been voted and announced in early December 2024.

According to Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee Nguyen Thuc Hien, located in the center of the Mekong Delta region, the city has the advantage of geographical location connecting Ho Chi Minh City to the provinces in the region by road, waterway and air with Can Tho International Airport.

In 2025, the province will continue to promote this advantage, develop tourism associated with the following strategies: Unique ecological site, Mekong Delta cultural center, conference and seminar tourism, resort real estate tourism combined with business. At the same time, implementing the Planning of the cultural and sports facilities network, tourism system for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2045, Can Tho will complete many cultural and tourism institutions and infrastructures to serve people and tourists.

Hon Thom cable car, Phu Quoc city (Kien Giang) serving tourists. Photo: Le Huy Hai/VNA

Director of Kien Giang Province Department of Tourism Bui Quoc Thai said that Kien Giang tourism aims to attract over 10.4 million visitors by 2025.

Kien Giang focuses on innovation and tourism development in the direction of emphasizing specific products, creating breakthroughs, such as natural tourism associated with Phu Quoc National Park and Phu My Species - Habitat Conservation Area (Giang Thanh district); Ha Tien Thap Canh discovery tourism; community tourism; cultural experience tourism of "Southern forest land" associated with U Minh Thuong National Park.

At the same time, the province adds attractive tourism products such as commercial tourism at Ha Tien International Border Gate; cultural, historical, spiritual and religious tourism, Oc Eo cultural archaeology; urban tourism, luxury entertainment in Phu Quoc city, developing MICE tourism of international standards; agricultural tourism associated with the OCOP program and traditional craft villages in potential localities, contributing to the development of regional and national tourism.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Thap province, the province focuses on developing eco-tourism products, garden tourism, culture, agriculture, rural tourism, resort tourism, health care tourism, focusing on increasing experiences, gradually making tourism an important economic sector of the locality, making Dong Thap one of the freshwater ecological tourism centers of the Mekong Delta.

According to VNA

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/du-lich-dong-bang-song-cuu-long-tiep-tuc-but-pha-20241212095627918.htm