Creating Feature Tourism Products

Bac Lieu is the venue of three cultures; Vietnamese (Kinh), Chinese, and Khmer, which form the unique characteristics of the people here. In communication, Bac Lieu people are very hospitable, enthusiastic and kind. They are hard-working and generous. Bac Lieu people love the art, especially traditional tunes. Bac Lieu is the home town of “Da co hoai lang” by late composer Cao Van Lau and one of the cradles of Southern folk music. Annually there are many festivals, such as “Quan Am Nam Hai”, “Nghinh Ong Ganh Hao”, “Da co hoai lang”, and “Oc Om Bok” festivals, attracting a large number of tourists to Bac Lieu.

 

Beside the tourism potential of its watery landscape, another special feature in Bac Lieu’s eco-tourism is natural bird parks. The one in Bac Lieu City, just 4 kilometres from the centre, has about 40 bird species. Bac Lieu’s longan garden, with hundreds of trees, stretches along the coast for over 10 kilometres. Coming here, tourists can enjoy specialties and listen to southern folk music. Bac Lieu’s coast is over 50 kilometres long with boundless mangroves, and is an excellent place for tourism services.

 

Bac Lieu also has many historical –cultural relics which appeal to tourists, such as: National historical vestige Temple worshiping Uncle Ho, Dong Noc Nang, ancient Vinh Hung Tower, Bac Lieu Gentleman’s House, etc. In addition, there are ancient house architecture and system of temples, pagodas of the Kinh, Chinese, and Khmer ethnic groups.

 

According to Mr Nguyen Chi Thien, Chairman of Bac Lieu Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in 2010, the province held many national and international events attracting a large number of tourists to Bac Lieu. In particular, the province welcomed 423,000 tourists, increasing by 20.9 percent against 2009, in which the number of international ones was 15,500. However, with provincial tourism potential, this number is not high. Therefore, in 2011, the province set the goal of attracting over half a million tourists, in which international ones account for over 20,000 ones.

 

To beat the set goal, Bac Lieu has adopted many measures to boost the progress of investment projects to serve tourists. The provincial advantages are given priority in exploitation by creating feature tourism products such as: Legend of Bac Lieu Gentleman, House of Memory for late Composer Cao Van Lau and supporting “Da co hoai lang” and Southern folk music, and tourism in Bac Lieu bird park. This will be an important method to attract domestic and foreign tourists.

 

The province also pays attention to communication, advertising and promotion activities on tourism, as well as regularly hosts or takes part in regional and National Administration of Tourism’s promotion missions to introduce Bac Lieu to tourists; frequently advertising tourism on mass media. At the same time, Bac Lieu is concerned about training and re-training human resources for tourism, having sent many staff to training courses under the project to develop Vietnam tourism human resources.

 

Mr Thien said that over the past years, tourism has boosted the implementation of provincial tourism plans and investment projects. In the coming time, tourism investment projects will continue to be conducted to create a comprehensive tourism infrastructure for provincial tourism development by 2015.

 

First, in period 2011-2015, the province completes investment into on-going projects such as: Nha Mat Tourism Project, Bac Lieu Bird Park, and Longan garden; and it will push the planning and implementation of tourism projects including: Phuoc Long Stork Park, Lap Dien Bird Park, and Tac Say Church tourism spot. At the same time, restoration of cultural-historical vestiges will continue.