Can Tho develops green tourism associated with traditional culture

In Can Tho, in recent years, the city has had many projects to develop modern river tourism while still preserving traditional cultural identity such as: tourism associated with agriculture; tourism to experience the life of the old West... bringing many spaces to experience for both tourists and locals.

Besides traditional cultural factors, Can Tho also aims to develop long-term tourism, determining to promote the river identity associated with integrating the green and sustainable development trend of national and international tourism.

Can Tho develops green tourism associated with traditional culture - Photo: Internet

Floating markets and floating islands are two easily recognizable and most symbolic river culture values ​​in the Mekong Delta. These are also two types of river culture used as resources in tourism exploitation and development, creating unique products in the Nine Dragons land. Without exception, in Can Tho, Cai Rang floating market is a characteristic of the river, a cultural space closely associated with the history of the land, a valuable asset that needs to be preserved. And Cai Rang floating market tours are always included in the Can Tho discovery itinerary of most travel companies.

Faced with the reality of “floating markets no longer floating”, since 2016, the Project “Preservation and development of Cai Rang floating market” has been implemented by Can Tho City, with 13 items, aiming at the most important goal of retaining traders and preserving the culture of Cai Rang floating market.

Every year, Cai Rang District People's Committee also organizes "Cai Rang Floating Market Cultural Tourism Festival", with many activities and booths such as: "The beauty of Ao Ba Ba in the past and present" contest; contest to display models of boats, ships - poles for buying and selling agricultural products at Cai Rang floating market; boat parade on the river, collecting trash on the river; booths to promote tourism, introduce specialties, Southern folk cakes, and perform "Don Ca Tai Tu" on the river..., to recreate the ancient floating market culture to tourists.

Taking advantage of the floating island system for tourism is a "natural" direction that Can Tho is implementing in developing the smokeless industry. In particular, Con Son Tourism Cooperative is famous for its "trick" of training familiar animals in daily life into unique models, such as catfish eating on land and snakehead fish drinking from bottles. To contribute to enriching tourism with the flavor of the countryside and rivers, Con Son has launched circus frogs in the summer of 2023.

Besides traditional cultural factors, Can Tho also aims to develop long-term tourism, determining to promote the river identity associated with integrating the green and sustainable development trend of national and international tourism - Photo Internet

Implementing the Action Program according to the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, the 5-year socio-economic development plan 2021-2025 in the tourism sector, including 3 chapters: Objectives and requirements; Key tasks and Implementation organization, Can Tho City has gradually innovated tourism activities, oriented the development of specific tourism products suitable for the reality after the Covid-19 pandemic: river tourism and tourism combined with events (MICE).

According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho City, since the beginning of the year, accommodation establishments have served nearly 1.7 million guests, an increase of 34% over the same period, reaching 62% of the yearly plan. Can Tho's total tourism revenue in the first 6 months of 2023 is estimated at more than 3,300 billion VND, an increase of 59% over the same period, reaching 72% of the yearly plan.

In order for the tourism industry to develop further, the city will continue to improve the quality of eco-tourism products close to nature and indigenous cultural tourism. At the same time, to develop tourism in the long term, Can Tho will promote the identity of the river associated with the trend of integrating green and sustainable development of national and international tourism, ensuring that the products have both unique features while still preserving and promoting the common features of Southern culture./.

Dan Hung