Connectivity awakes Mekong Delta’s tourism charm

A kaleidoscope of tourism offerings have been branched out under a tourism connectivity programme between Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta region to unlock the allure of the southern localities. 

Eighty tours have been set up, connecting Ho Chi Minh City with a host of localities in the Mekong Delta, such as Tien Giang, Vinh Long, and Can Tho. The tours will give visitors a taste of the Mekong Delta where the daily life is peaceful in rustic landscapes under coconut canopies and along a system of canals that zigzag through tropical orchards.

According to statistics from 100 travel firms engaged in the connectivity programme, 1.8 million visitors joined the tours from January – September, each paying around 800,000 VND to 1 million VND (32.96 – 41.19 USD).

Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu said the travel business association and suppliers of tourism services have an important role to play in the programme, helping promote tourism products in the spirit of sharing with the local tourism community. 

Hieu suggested that the localities involved should sketch out more tourism incentives to ensure service quality for both domestic and international tourists. 

Forming key tourism products is a must to lure high-end travelers, she said, suggesting localities to propose their People’s Committees to issue policies to lure investment in entertainment zones to diversify tourism offerings to encourage visitors to stay longer. 

As a tourism gateway for the region, Ho Chi Minh City should work to complete fascinating tours to lure more visitors to the connectivity programmes, she added. 

Meanwhile, representatives from the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of several Mekong Delta localities said that digital technology should be deployed to capitalise on and manage tourism resources.

Director of the Domestic Tourism Centre at Ben Thanh Tourism Joint Stock Company Cao Van Tung said that localities should re-define their tourism brands to develop more standout tourism products, and travel firms are willing to accompany local authorities in the process. 

Meanwhile, Marketing and Communications Director at Vietluxtour Tran Thi Bao Thu said each locality needs to build distinctive tourism products. For example, the tours should enable visitors to distinguish Tram Chim National Park from Mua Xuan (Spring) Tourist Area, and spiritual tourism in Long An from that in Soc Trang, she said. 

Travel firms said although Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta region are able to cash in on their cachet of criss-crossed rivers, tranquil orchards and green environment, it is tough for the localities to form independent three-day tours due to limit ations in infrastructure. 

Therefore, it is necessary to build inter-regional trips that are able to create lasting impression on visitors, and keep them coming back, they added./.