Developing tourism products commensurate with the new situation

The visa exemption policy has just been expanded to many countries, the taste for sustainable travel is gradually gaining popularity, the development of digital technology has created attractive experiences for the trip... are extremely favorable conditions for the tourism industry of the whole country, including Bac Lieu, to make a breakthrough. To do so, developing products of equivalent level in the new situation is an urgent requirement to help the province maximize its advantages, position and create a different color in the general picture of regional tourism.

Báo Bạc Liêu•26/03/2025

OPPORTUNITY TO ATTRACT HIGH SPENDING CUSTOMERS

Looking at Bac Lieu’s impressive tourism “fortune”, it can be affirmed that the province has devoted a lot of effort to developing the “smokeless industry”, with the result that the locality owns many typical tourist destinations of the Mekong Delta. However, the worrying thing is that quantity does not go hand in hand with quality and Bac Lieu is still struggling to assert a position commensurate with its inherent advantages.

The proof is that the service revenue and total number of visitors per year of Bac Lieu have not shown the position of a locality with many typical regional products. In 2024 alone, Bac Lieu only ranked 4th out of 13 provinces and cities in the region in terms of total revenue and number of visitors. In particular, the number of foreign visitors - the group with high spending levels - coming to Bac Lieu is not much, in which the number of visitors staying is quite limited, leading to the province's tourism service revenue remaining low.

According to Resolution 44 recently issued by the Government, citizens from 15 European and Asian countries will be exempted from visas, with a temporary stay of 45 days from the date of entry into Vietnam, regardless of passport type or purpose of entry. Previously, citizens of 3 countries, Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, also enjoyed this policy. This has sent a message that Vietnam is opening its doors to integration, always welcoming friends from around the world, and also creating competition for domestic localities to attract high-spending visitors.

Mr. Hoang Van Cuong - Director of Hoa Binh 1 Wind Power Investment Joint Stock Company (Hoa Binh district), said: "To standardize the human resources in the context of integration, we are cooperating with units to train according to orders, especially those who have good English communication skills. In addition, we are investing in activities and services close to nature, protecting the environment, and exploring local cultures to serve the tastes of foreign customers."

Tourists visit the Southern Traditional Music Art Memorial Area and musician Cao Van Lau. Photo: HT

ADD QUALITY TO THE PRODUCT

It is not difficult to point out the reasons why Bac Lieu tourism development has not been commensurate with expectations. One of the most obvious problems is that the province's products still lack appeal, and investment has not gone into depth. For example, the Southern Folk Music and Musician Cao Van Lau Memorial Area has only added a Southern Folk Music performance program over the years; the area around Hung Vuong Square does not have souvenir and food stalls to serve visitors checking in. Or when coming to Xiem Can Pagoda, besides sightseeing and taking souvenir photos, visitors do not have any activities to experience the unique cultural identity of the Khmer people...

Mr. Ly Vy Trieu Duong - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: "In order for Bac Lieu tourism to develop commensurate with its potential and advantages and towards the goal of becoming one of the tourism centers of the region, the provincial tourism industry is focusing on developing unique and distinctive tourism products to enhance its brand and competitiveness in the market. The focus is on developing cultural tourism products associated with the immortal value of the "Da Co Hoai Lang" song and the art of Don Ca Tai Tu; products associated with the brand of Cong Tu Bac Lieu; green tourism products visiting wind power plants combined with experiencing the coastal forest ecosystem... In the development trend of digital technology, the industry also promotes the application of information technology in tourism development, including building and deploying a smart tourism management system under the Smart Urban Development Project, the Program to Digitize Vietnamese Cultural Heritage for the period 2021 - 2030 in the province".

In the new situation, having many typical regional tourist attractions and extremely favorable conditions gives Bac Lieu advantages to develop and compete. However, besides that, it also requires the province to have deeper and more refined investment to create products that are attractive enough to attract and retain domestic and foreign tourists.

PHUONG ANH

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/phat-trien-san-pham-du-lich-tuong-tam-voi-tinh-hinh-moi-99909.html