Emphasis on Making Difference in Tourism Products

 

Dong Thap province has plentiful tourism resources, especially attractive eco-tourism and rather unique social tourism, in which the prime examples are wetlands in Tram Chim National Park, Xeo Quyt vestige, Gao Giong Eco-tourism site, Go Thap archaeological site, Relic site honoring Mr Nguyen Sinh Sac; Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House etc. Besides, there are many famous temples, pagodas and trading villages such as: Kien An Cung Pagoda, Temple worshiping Commander Tran Van Nang, Shrine worshiping owners of Cao Lanh market, Sa Dec bonsai flower village, Dinh Yen Mat village, Lai Vung village (producing pork hash wrapped in banana leaf) etc

 

For the past year, since the implementation of Master Plan for Dong Thap Tourism Development in 2001-2010, vision to 2020, the tourism has seen development progresses, gradually become an important economic industry, helping to shift economic structure, create jobs for labors, improve people’s lives, extent provincial relations and cooperation and changing Dong Thap image in the the eye of national and international partners. Provincial tourism infrastructure has been invested with focuses and formed and visit sites. From 2006 to 2010, investment of hundreds of billion was made to Gao Giong Eco-tourism site, Xeo Quyt, Go Thap and Tram Chim National Park.

 

In the period 2006-2010, the number of tourists to Dong Thap increased averagely by 17.22 percent per year, making turnover from tourism services see annual average growth rate of 21.96 percent. In 2011, Dong Thap tourism greeted and served over 1.3 million visitors, exceeding by 10.92 percent against 2010; including 27,727 international ones. The total tourism turnover was VND 162 billion, up by 37.34 percent against 2010, in which tourism service turnover from tourism trading units accounted for VND 110.982 billion. In 2012, the province targets to welcome 1,460,000 tourists with total turnover of VND 198 billion.

 

In general, Dong Thap has abundant tourism resources, especially social and eco-tourism. However, in the past time, provincial investment in this field is still limited, which was caused by small scale, low starting point not keeping pace to resurrect tourism potential. To eliminate this, Dong Thap Provincial People’s Committee gave out Tourism Development Plan to 2015 to make tourism provincial economic spearhead. Accordingly, from 2011-2015, Dong Thap tourism will be promoted in the direction of historical, cultural and eco-tourism on the foundation of taking full advantage of existing resources and tourism products meeting demand of tourist market. At the same time, protection and restoration of eco-environment landscape should be engaged to ensure tourism sustainable development.

 

The priority is given to develop infrastructure in key tourism sites and visits such as Go Thap Vestige, Xeo Quyt Relic, Gao Giong Reservation Eco-park, Relic site honoring Mr Nguyen Sinh Sac, Tram Chim National Park, Sa Dec Bonsai Flower Village with focus. The province has also made investment to build tourism service works and entertainment sites in tourism sites, visits and accommodations; promoted resting station on tourism routes; improved service quality and diversified tourism types, creating featured tourism products meeting tourists’ demands to lengthen accommodation time.

 

In addition, the province has also concentrated on restoring historical and cultural relics, ancient architects, especially ranked ones to add into tourism routes and sites as well as organizing tourism services to attract visitors. Annual traditional festivals are promoted. Some typical trading villages with conditions are given assistance to become tourism sites. Vocational training is organized and assistance is made to promote tourism-business for trading villages so that they can introduce new products, establish selling points and visits there as well as at tourism sites.

 

It is expected that by 2015, Dong Thap tourism will welcome and serve 2.1 million tourists, seeing average growth rate of 12.45 percent. The total tourism turnover is expected to reach VND 360 billion by 2015, in which that from tourism trading units accounts for VND 200 billion. The average growth rate is anticipated to be 22 percent. Apart from Xeo Quyt Relic, expectedly there will be more 5 projects (including Project Water Rice Cultural Site, Project Tien River Resort, Project Gao Giong Eco-park, Project Mekong – Phu Sa Eco-tourism site in An Hoa Islet, Project Go Thap Eco-tourism site) which will be exploited, making difference in Dong Thap tourism products.