The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has strongly promoted tourism investment, including transport system, tourist sites and diversification of tourism services in recent years. The province has also cooperated with cities and provinces, and coordinated with the travel businesses to develop the tourism industry.
Leaders and officials of HCMC and Dong Thap Province visit Tram Chim Nature Reserve. (Photo: SGGP)
HCMC’s travel agents have been interested in exploiting programs carrying domestic visitors to Dong Thap’s attractions, especially trips associated with the local flooding season, eco-agriculture tourism, historical and handicraft village tourism.
Connected tours among HCMC, Dong Thap and Southern localities bring tourists to visit popular destinations, including Nguyen Sinh Sac ( Uncle Ho's father ) historical site, Xeo Quyt National Relic Area, Gao Giong ecological tourist area, Tram Chim National Park, Go Thap Archaeological Area, Sa Dec flower village, traditional craft villages in Dong Thap, and other venues in An Giang, Kien Giang. Besides, homestay tourism allows visitors to stay and experience daily activities with local families. They relax, enjoy fresh rural atmosphere, taste traditional cuisine and join in farming activities.
HCMC and Dong Thap have organized many exchanges on developing tourism and gained remarkable achievements. However, the cooperation has not developed as expected. Tourism programs and tours to Dong Thap that focus on domestic market have limited the length of stay and expenditure of visitors.
Director of the HCMC Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa said that the HCMC and Dong Thap should strengthen the mutual and regional linkage activities to create common products and policies as well as offer tourist products featuring the “One trip-many destinations”.
The city’s tourism sector will develop tourist products linking attractions including Cu Chi of HCMC, Moc Hoa of Long An and Tram Chim Nature Reserve of Dong Thap, and boost connection and trading activities among travel companies of HCMC and Southeastern provinces to exploit Dong Thap’s tourist products.
Around 70 percent of Dong Thap province’s population depends on agriculture for its livelihood. Community-based tourism bringing the unique cultural experience of local community, clean and green living environment to visitors has recently developed and attracted a large number of tourists.
Meanwhile HCMC has kicked off its tourism recovery plan starting in October. The city’s tourism sector has offered inner city tours under precaution and safety standards, announced 336 tourist resources and upgraded its website to strengthen tourism promotion.
The development of connected tourist products between the two sides will be one of the important measures to stimulate the people’s travel demand.
HCMC and the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap need to develop bilateral connectivity and expand tourism cooperation to other localities where the pandemic has been basically brought under control, aiming at recovering tourism activities and creating job for people. said Vice Chairwoman of the HCMC People’s Committee Phan Thi Thang.
She suggested the People’s Committees of the city and Dong Thap to delegate functional departments to build a set of safety assessment criteria for tourism to create advantage for tourist activities. Additionally, she also asked travel agents of HCMC to offer suitable tourist products to support Dong Thap Province.
Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Thap Province Doan Tan Buu highly appreciated the outstanding support of the HCMC’s functional departments and travel businesses to the development of Dong Thap’s tourism industry. The province will implement a pilot program for tourism recovery from the middle of November to the middle of December. All tourism activities are expected to be resumed in January, 2022.
By Tran Thanh – Translated by Kim Khanh
