Revitalizing tourism in the Mekong Delta.

Following the establishment of the new province, localities in the western region have revitalized their tourism industry to adapt to the new development environment and attract more tourists to the area.

Tourists in Phu Quoc - Photo: C.CONG

Some localities, such as Can Tho, are expected to have a specialized resolution on tourism development in the near future.

Diverse and abundant tourism products

Following the merger of An Giang and Kien Giang provinces, the new An Giang province boasts a diverse geographical landscape encompassing plains, hills, mountains, and islands. This favorable condition allows the province to develop unique tourism routes, from sacred mountains to pristine beaches, catering to both domestic and international tourists.

An Giang province, with an area of ​​just over 9,888 square kilometers, boasts a diverse range of stunning natural landscapes, from forests to the sea.

Therefore, tourists visiting An Giang can enjoy themselves at spiritual tourist destinations such as the Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain, the Thoai Ngoc Hau Mausoleum, Ba Chuc Pagoda, Ta Pa Mountain Pagoda, Hang Cong Pagoda, and Cam Mountain (also known as Thien Cam Son).

Tourist destinations associated with picturesque landscapes include Ta Pa Lake (Tuyet Tinh Coc), Phuong Hoang Son (Tri Ton commune), Soai Chek Lake, Dong Ho Lagoon, Thach Dong Cave, and Da Dung Mountain (Ha Tien ward). Special coastal and island tourism destinations include Phu Quoc, Ha Tien, Nam Du, and Hon Son (Kien Hai Special Economic Zone).

"I find the scenery in An Giang very beautiful. From the top of Ta Pa Lake, looking across to Phuong Hoang Son, you can see the golden rice fields interspersed with many beautiful palm trees. The people here are very gentle, cheerful, and friendly. The local dishes, such as grilled chicken and papaya salad, are very distinctive and delicious," said Ms. Nguyen Anh Quyen, a tourist from Dong Thap, happily.

Mr. Tran Van Cuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tri Ton commune, informed that the area has a semi-mountainous terrain and many tourist attractions such as Soai So Lake and Ta Pa, connected with local cuisine such as grilled chicken and papaya salad. From the beginning of 2025 to the present, the locality is estimated to have welcomed nearly 600,000 visitors.

The locality is also focusing on tourism development, particularly connecting with travel agencies, designing tours and developing paragliding and bull racing tourism that reflect the unique culture of the local people to serve tourists.

Meanwhile, immediately after the merger of Bac Lieu and Ca Mau provinces, the culture, sports, and tourism sector of Ca Mau launched the "Ca Mau - Destination 2025" program with many large-scale events aimed at promoting its image and attracting tourists.

According to Mr. Ly Vy Trieu Duong, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the province, the province is focusing on three key tasks: planning the spatial layout and tourism products that connect distinctive areas such as islands, mangrove forests, community tourism, spiritual tourism, and culinary tourism; reorganizing the market and promoting trade, and advertising the brand "Ca Mau - The southernmost point of the Fatherland"; and linking to attract investment to improve service quality.

"We are developing inter-regional tour routes, connecting with Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City, and other provinces in the Mekong Delta to expand the tourism space."

"In particular, upgrading Ca Mau airport and completing the Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway will create a major boost in transportation, facilitating the arrival of a significant increase in passengers in the coming time," Mr. Duong shared.

How can we revitalize tourism?

The new environment necessitates a different and innovative approach to tourism to adapt to the new circumstances. Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, deputy director of An Giang Tourism Joint Stock Company, stated that after the merger, An Giang has a significant advantage in tourism development, particularly with the island and coastal tourist destination of Phu Quoc.

In Tri Ton, things remain the same, and there is potential for tourism development linked to local culture, such as the culture of the Khmer ethnic group.

Therefore, Mr. Phuc suggested that to attract and retain tourists in the new context, An Giang province needs to build more infrastructure and accommodation facilities in Tri Ton and Chau Doc, and organize festivals, paragliding, or kite flying.

With well-developed and attractive tourism products and convenient transportation infrastructure, An Giang has strong potential for tourism development in the future.

Mr. Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, acting chairman of the Kien Giang Tourism Association, views An Giang as a miniature Vietnam, possessing all the necessary natural conditions, culture, cuisine, and tourism products to serve various segments of the domestic and international tourist market.

In addition, local authorities should organize more survey programs and famtrips to conduct comprehensive assessments of local tourism resources.

Then, businesses and travel agencies work together to brainstorm and design attractive tour routes to attract tourists.

"The most crucial issue is to improve infrastructure and transportation to facilitate convenient travel for tourists; and to train high-quality human resources proficient in foreign languages ​​to guide and introduce foreign visitors to the culture, cuisine, and unique labor practices of the local people," Mr. Huy suggested.

A tourism business in Can Tho said that the city needs to create high-quality attractions to draw tourists to Can Tho.

Furthermore, it is necessary to plan the spatial development of nighttime tourism products. This is not a problem unique to Can Tho; every province either has one or has already identified nighttime tourism development as an area for growth.

"In reality, there are very few and monotonous places for tourists to experience after dinner. Therefore, Can Tho needs to focus on developing culinary activities, entertainment, shopping, and nighttime river cruises."

At the same time, in the coming period, it is also necessary to maintain a show about the culture, history, and people of Can Tho so that visitors to Can Tho have a spectacular show that they must come to experience.

Mr. Nguyen Van Bay, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho, said that the Can Tho tourism industry has identified the need to further promote sustainable tourism development activities, while also boosting tourism demand stimulation activities.

The Department has coordinated with the City Tourism Association and tourism businesses to develop and announce a tourism stimulus program.

"The program has mobilized the participation of more than 150 packages of products, services, and tours to stimulate tourism from businesses, accommodation establishments, restaurants, tourist destinations, and entertainment services...", Mr. Bay said.

Can Tho will have a resolution on tourism development.

At a recent meeting with former and current leaders of Can Tho City and Hau Giang and Soc Trang provinces, Can Tho City Party Secretary Do Thanh Binh announced that the City Party Standing Committee will issue a specialized resolution on tourism.

According to Mr. Binh, in the first six months of 2025, tourists stayed in Can Tho for a short time and spent little money, compared to many other provinces in the country. With 6 million tourists, each person only spent 1 million VND per day, while the national average was 65 USD per person (approximately 1.6 million VND), and in some places even 200 USD per person.

Mr. Binh believes that the city's tourism industry has potential and advantages, but its tourism products are not very attractive and it is difficult to retain visitors.

Mr. Binh informed that one of the solutions for tourism development is to have international flight routes, and at a recent meeting with Japanese investors, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called for the opening of a flight route connecting Can Tho City with Japan.

Phu Quoc - high-quality ecotourism destination

Mr. Bui Quoc Thai, Director of the An Giang Department of Tourism, said that in order to develop sustainable tourism, the department is advising the Provincial People's Committee to seek opinions from ministries and agencies on a project to build Phu Quoc into a high-quality eco-tourism and marine tourism center of national and international stature.

"We are stepping up efforts to promote tourist destinations and encouraging local tourism businesses to design attractive and reasonably priced tours to attract visitors," Mr. Thai said.

CHI QUOC - CHI CONG - THANH HUYEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lam-moi-du-lich-mien-tay-20250822085520979.htm