Steering Tien Giang Tourism Toward Sustainable Development

Tien Giang’s extensive transportation network, encompassing land, river, and sea routes, not only establishes a vital link with Vietnam’s largest tourism market - Ho Chi Minh City, but also paves the way for substantial opportunities in the development of international tourism. This is particularly relevant in the context of high-end international tourism markets, such as the cruise tourism sector. Vietnam Business Forum conducted an interview with Mr. Vo Pham Tan, Deputy Director of Tien Giang Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Given the untapped potential for tourism development, could you provide an evaluation of the performance of the Tien Giang tourism sector in recent years?

Tien Giang, renowned for its ecological diversity in the Mekong Delta, boasts three distinct ecological regions. These, coupled with human activities, yield unique tourism products.

The province currently has 187 ranked historical and cultural relics, including 20 national relics, two special national relics and 165 provincial relics. Among them, relics associated with national heroes and historical and cultural events have been known to many domestic and foreign tourists, such as Rach Gam-Xoai Mut Monument, Ap Bac Victory Memorial, Truong Dinh Tomb, Thu Khoa Huan Temple, and Oc Eo-Go Thanh archaeological site. Besides, Tien Giang has 212 folk festivals and nine revolutionary festivals. Among them, five are recognized as intangible cultural heritages: Truong Dinh National Hero Festival, Dong Hoa Hiep Ancient Village Festival, Ky Yen Vinh Binh Festival, Ky Yen Long Trung Festival and Tu Kiet Festival.

Preserving and promoting historical and cultural relic values and developing tourism are closely interrelated and mutually supported for joint development. Historical and cultural relics are a resource for tourism development. Capturing this advantage, building tourism products in Tien Giang province is coupled with promoting traditional culture, tourism advantages and connecting tourist destinations with historical and cultural relics to form locally specific tours and tourist routes. This shows that the potential for tourism development is enormous.

Tien Giang has sped up destination promotion by organizing many field trips and welcoming and inviting major tourism firms to survey and connect tours and tourist routes. At the same time, the province has carried out tourism development plan to 2020, with a vision to 2030, which focuses on calling investment capital for developing four main tourist centers: Cai Be tourist area, Cu Chi Island tourist area, Tan Thanh Beach tourist area and Dong Thap Muoi ecological reserve. This move has changed the face of local tourism and helped diversify tourism products and meet domestic and foreign tourist needs to positively boost tourism development and socioeconomic development.

After two years (2020-2021) being stagnant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tien Giang tourism is currently accelerating recovery and seeing positive signals. In 2022, Tien Giang attracted nearly 884,000 tourists, including 81,000 international visitors. Tourism revenue was VND455 billion. In the first 10 months of 2023, the province welcomed nearly 1.1 million visitors, including more than 346,000 international visitors. Tourism revenue was VND716 billion, contributing significantly to the province's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) and creating development momentum for other economic sectors.

What are the critical tasks and strategies that need to be implemented to generate momentum for the further development of Tien Giang’s tourism sector?

To sustainably develop the province's tourism, sharpen its competitiveness in the Mekong Delta region and become an attractive, safe and friendly destination for domestic and foreign tourists, Tien Giang province will continue to effectively carry out Resolution 82/NQ-CP dated May 18, 2023 of the Government on main tasks and solutions to accelerate effective and sustainable tourism recovery and development and Resolution 11-NQ/TU dated April 5, 2017 of the Provincial Party Committee on Tien Giang tourism development to 2020 and further to 2030, focusing on following key tasks:

(1) Quickly reforming administrative procedures and improving the investment and business environment; accelerating tourism development investment projects, removing existing difficulties, increasing support, inviting strategic investors into key tourism development projects.

(2) Exploiting destination advantages and potential to attract tourists; fostering cultural values with tourism development through popular events (Culture-Sports-Tourism Festival, Dong Hoa Hiep Ancient Village Festival, Truong Dinh National Hero Festival), historical-cultural relics, traditional craft villages in the province.

(3) Improving the effectiveness of tourism promotion and advertising in a unified, professional manner and applying the Fourth Industrial Revolution to tourism introduction and promotion; simultaneously developing international tourism and domestic tourism.

(4) Strengthening local and regional connectivity and cooperation; facilitating local tourism businesses to link up and participate in tourism events to introduce and promote the province's tourism products to other provinces and cities nationwide, focusing on key markets like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang.

(5) Issuing development support policies for agricultural tourism associated with new rural development, diversifying tourism products.

(6) Enhancing the effect of State tourism management; focusing on training tourism human resources.

Could you elaborate on your concerns regarding the promotion of tourism for achieving heightened development?

In general, the growth of tourist arrivals and tourism income in Tien Giang province is low as compared with the region and the country, below its local potential, advantages and infrastructure system. The province lacks entertainment areas and unique tourism products while it is difficult to attract tourism investors. The cooperation with other localities and local and external companies remains weak.

In the face of these challenges, on July 31, 2023, we recommended the Provincial People’s Committee to initiate an action plan. This plan was in accordance with the Government’s Resolution 82/NQ-CP, dated May 18, 2023, which outlined the primary tasks and solutions for accelerating the effective and sustainable recovery and development of tourism in Tien Giang province. The objective was to restructure the tourism sector towards sustainable development, while preserving and promoting cultural values and environmental protection. The department adopted a focused approach to tourism, encapsulated by the motto: “Excellent products - Professional services - Convenient and simple procedures - Competitive prices - Clean and beautiful hygienic environment - Safe, civilized and friendly destinations”. This strategy aimed to elevate tourism to a key economic sector of the province, thereby positively contributing to local socioeconomic development.

Thank you very much!

By Tien Cong, Vietnam Business Forum