Creating New Unique Tourism Products

Over two years of implementing Resolution 03/NQ-TU dated August 1, 2016 of Can Tho City Party Committee on promoting tourism development, making it a key economic sector by 2020, Can Tho tourism industry has achieved strong development. The city has seen strong growth in both tourist arrivals and revenue, with an average annual growth of 20%.

Tourist arrivals and revenue has increased by 2-3 times that of the time before Resolution 03-NQ/TU was enforced.

Particularly, in 2018, the tourism sector welcomed more than 8.48 million visitors, 12.5% more than in 2017 and 6% higher than the yearly plan. Total tourism revenue grossed VND3,785 billion, up 30.6% year on year and equal 108% of the full-year plan.

Based on its tourism development planning to 2020 and further to 2030, Can Tho City will focus on developing three specific tourism types, including ecological garden and river tourism; historical and cultural tourism; and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism. Accordingly, the city will concentrate social resources for tourism development investment, focuses on building and developing diverse, quality tourism products, and frequently renews communications on tourism. Famous tourist sites have made Can Tho tourism brand such as Cai Rang Floating Market, Phong Dien and My Khanh Orchards, and Ninh Kieu Pedestrian Bridge. The city also supports people to develop tourism; introduces many mechanisms and policies on tourism investment attraction; open new routes and increases flights; and trains tourism human resources.

Especially, Can Tho also mobilizes investment resources for modern large-scale infrastructure development and upgrading to retain visitors. By the end of 2018, the city had 275 tourist accommodation facilities with a total of 7,188 rooms, 59 travel service companies, 32 tourist gardens, 19 homestays and one community tourist destination in Con Son. There are six tourist destinations typical of the Mekong Delta

To woo more tourists, Can Tho City focuses on building new unique tourism products. In 2018, it piloted an urban agricultural tourism model in Long Tuyen Ward, Binh Thuy District in 2018 - 2020. Its typical tourist points include Minh Hoa Organic Vegetable Farm and Can Tho Farm. Tourism is associated with regional, national and international cultural and sport events and festivals.

Mr. Tran Viet Phuong, Director of Can Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that Can Tho will further invest in tourism development in association with boosting socioeconomic development, ensuring national defense and security and matching the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy and the Master Plan for Sustainable, Modern Tourism Development so as to make Can Tho a truly ideal tourist destination that is safe - friendly - high-class and a converging land of Mekong River values, as said by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc: “Can Tho City - a city of rivers and water, an ecologically living city.” To make tourism a basically key economic sector, the City People's Committee assigned the Department of Finance to work with relevant local agencies to carry out Decision 49/2018/QD / Ttg dated December 12, 2018 of the Prime Minister on establishment and approval of the organization and operation charter of the Tourism Development Assistance Fund. Specifically, the Fund will be used to promote tourism; supporting market research and tourism product development; support training, fostering and developing tourism human resources; support tourism communication activities in the community; play active role in improving tourism competitiveness in order to make Can Tho a really popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists.