The southern province of Kien Giang has stepped up efforts to turn tourism into its key industry by 2020.
According to the provincial Tourism Department, Kien Giang welcomed more than 2.4 million tourists in the last five months, 42.4 percent of year’s plan and up 3.6 percent year-on-year. Of the number, foreign visitors increased more than 13 percent.
Kien Giang hosted the National Tourism Year - Phu Quoc - Mekong Delta in 2016, which helped the province to improve its tourism products and attract more visitors.
Tran Chi Dung, head of the department stressed that the province is striving to build on the momentum from the National Tourism Year. The province has called for more investment as well as improvement in services and human resource quality, along with building tourism products.
In the first five months of 2017, more than 850,000 tourists came to the province’s Phu Quoc island, a rise of 30 percent year-on-year, said Huynh Quang Hung, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Phu Quoc district.
Phu Quoc is expected to receive about two million people this year, mostly during Miss Grand International 2017 in October, Christmas and New Year 2018, Hung added.
Kien Giang province has built its tourism brand as a safe and friendly destination for domestic and foreign visitors. It also hopes to complete a tourism development plan and implement essential infrastructure.
In addition, the province has focused on mobilising resources to improve key tourism zones and repair local relics, as well as build more cultural and sport centres.-VNA