Mekong Delta tourism is still difficult when products and methods are similar

No flights makes it harder to attract customers

On March 29, in Can Tho City, Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper in collaboration with the Mekong Delta Tourism Association and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho organized a workshop: "Building and developing tours - routes and specific products of Mekong Delta tourism". The event aims to promote the development of tourism in the Mekong Delta, one of the 7 tourist regions of the country, with the main products being eco-tourism, cultural - historical tourism, sea and island tourism, etc.

The provinces and cities of the Mekong Delta all have strengths in rivers and water, so tourism products are often similar.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Loi, Editor-in-Chief of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper, suggested a number of key issues for discussion such as clarifying the specific tourism products of the Mekong Delta region, assessing the current status of building and developing tours, routes and tourism products in the Mekong Delta; proposing a coordination mechanism between actors in the tourism chain; promoting the characteristics and strengths of Mekong Delta tourism in the coming time...

According to experts, the strength of the Mekong Delta is its diverse and rich ecosystem, including: sea, islands, estuaries, mangrove forests, delta islands... In addition, the Mekong Delta also has more than 735 km of coastline and more than 150 large and small islands with many pristine beaches... These are very valuable tourism resources that few other lands have.

Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee, said that tourism in the Mekong Delta in general still has many limitations.

However, according to Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee, tourism in the Mekong Delta in general still has many limitations that are difficult to overcome. "Tourism in Can Tho in particular and the Mekong Delta in general are facing difficulties and challenges, that is, tourism products and tourism methods are quite similar, not fully exploiting the potential strengths of the specific characteristics of each locality".

However, from a travel perspective, Ms. Le Dinh Minh Thy, Director of Vietravel Can Tho, said that Mekong Delta tourism has actually had many innovations in products, many positive changes in promotion, and connections with tourist centers outside the region such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and northern provinces. In addition, the completion of highways is also a great advantage, promoting Mekong Delta tourism.

Ms. Le Dinh Minh Thy, Director of Vietravel Can Tho, said that a major difficulty for tourism in the Mekong Delta today is the ineffective exploitation of flight routes.

However, besides the shortcomings such as monotonous tourism products, slow innovation, and lack of creativity, the biggest difficulty today is the ineffective exploitation of flight routes. For example, Can Tho airport, although called an international airport, has no international flights maintained up to now. And of the 11 domestic flights from Can Tho connecting the regions, there are currently only 4 flights. "Without flights, increasing the number of tourists coming to the West becomes even more difficult," said Ms. Thy.

Promote seasonal tourism, green tourism...

Ms. Le Dinh Minh Thy also proposed that, along with developing a network of standard tourism service programs; cooperating with regional partners and connecting with international partners... Close cooperation is needed to build incentive and promotional packages, helping to attract tourists and increase interest from international partners. In particular, coordinating with airlines to expand charter flights to the West according to the seasons such as river festival season, banh tet festival season, agricultural product season... At the same time, organizing festival activities, exhibitions, sports activities, cultural activities, special discount programs. These will be important ways to attract tourists and develop tourism in the Mekong Delta...

Ms. Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said: "Tourism is a comprehensive economic sector, interdisciplinary, inter-regional and highly socialized. Therefore, the connection between localities in the Mekong Delta is very necessary, in order to promote the unique strengths of each locality to build and develop typical tourism products of the whole region, avoiding duplication, which can easily cause boredom for tourists when coming to the Mekong Delta."

There are three major issues for the Mekong Delta: tourism development policy, building unique tourism products, and improving competitiveness.

According to the leader of the Vietnam Tourism Association, there are three major issues for the Mekong Delta: tourism development policy, building unique tourism products and improving competitiveness. There, the Mekong Delta Tourism Association needs to proactively coordinate closely with tourism management departments in proposing and consulting on policy mechanisms to support human resource development, business restructuring, market expansion and diversification of tourism products. The State needs to focus on supporting research, building and developing tourism products suitable to new needs and trends, such as Mice tourism, community tourism, resort tourism, cultural - historical tourism. Especially green tourism, of which the Mekong Delta is a region with great potential.

It is estimated that in 2023, the total number of visitors to the Mekong Delta will reach nearly 45 million, an increase of 20.4% over the same period in 2022. Of which, international visitors will be more than 1.8 million, an increase of more than three times compared to 2022. Revenue will reach nearly 46,000 billion VND, an increase of 42.6% over the same period in 2022.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/du-lich-dbscl-van-kho-khi-san-pham-cach-lam-giong-nhau-185240329162343995.htm