Dong Thap forges ahead in sustainable tourism creation

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap is stepping up efforts to effectively contain the pandemic and push up socioeconomic development for a sustainable future.

Authorities in Dong Thap are fine-tuning a tourism development plan fit for the post-pandemic era

Late last month, Dong Thap successfully launched the Mekong Connect centre to present the province’s distinct food and tourism offerings at the Grand World Phu Quoc in Ganh Dau commune on Phu Quoc Island.

In a move to enhance the appeal of popular local tourism attractions like the Tram Chim National Park resort and the Xeo Quit relic site, the Dong Thap Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Centre has proposed taking innovative measures like using more eco-friendly products such as solar-powered boats and electric cars to mitigate harm done to the surrounding environment.

In addition, with a view to prolonging tourists’ stay in the province, the centre has proposed expanding local homestay networks in satellite areas around Tram Chim National Park.

Pham Thien Nghia, Chairman of Dong Thap People’s Committee, noted that in past years the province has crafted diverse policies to spur development of local tourism sector. Considering the province’s socioeconomic development strategy in the forthcoming time, tourism is taken as a spearhead sector.

“Local tourism spots and resort venues, therefore, must be more creative for in-depth development and improve service quality, along with bolstering communication to increase exposure to visitors,” Nghia said.

Through identifying existing limitations, a raft of measures was presented to boost tourism growth, focusing on improving local transport infrastructure to serve visitors combined with incentive policies to attract investors and better the quality of local festivals, while ensuring the integrity of the sector’s development plan and those of related sectors.

Le Quoc Phong, Secretary of Dong Thap Party Committee, has asked Dong Thap People’s Committee to team up with relevant sectors and branches, concentrating local resources to ensure effective implementation of the tourism development plan, and striving to craft Dong Thap’s image as “the land of the lotus”.

The objective is to turn Dong Thap into a lucrative venue on the delta region’s tourism map by outlining practical and efficient development targets for the next five years for the province’s sustainable tourism future.

According to Dong Thap Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province will post an estimated VND300 billion ($13 million) in total tourism revenue for the first half of 2021, signifying a 27.4-per-cent jump on-year despite the 6.47-per-cent fall in the number of visitors due to the pandemic, approximating one million visitors.

The province is now home to 98 private tourism residences with nearly 2,000 rooms, including 43 1- to 3-star hotels with a total of 1,260 rooms, valued at nearly $87 million.

Dong Thap is also well-known for its distinct food and tourism offerings. The province has 169 products recognised under the One Commune, One Product scheme of Dong Thap People’s Committee. Many of these products are popular items like dried lotus seeds, dried jackfruit, vegetarian lotus-seed prawn crackers, and more – all of which are favoured by both local and foreign consumers.