Dong Thap Strives to Improve Tourism Attraction

In recent years, Dong Thap has paid great attention to promoting tourism by investing, diversifying tours and creating unique tourism products. Dong Thap tourism has managed to improve its competitiveness, attracting more and more visitors from both domestic and foreign markets.

 

Dong Thap is a province with potential for various types of tourism, especially rather unique eco-tourism sites. A typical destination is Submerged National Park Tram Chim (Bird Sanctuary), habitat of sarus cranes which are listed in IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Dong Thap can be regarded as a smaller Dong Thap Muoi since it has adequate ecosystem of the submerged land with about 130 plant species, hundreds of vertebrates, dozens of fishes and over 198 waterfowls, accounting for one quarter of existing birds in Vietnam.

 

Xeo Quyt tourism spot with a young waterlogged mangrove forest ecosystem of 20 hectares and relics such as military works, air-raid shelter, and secret tunnels has been restored and preserved. Coming here, tourists will feel lost in the green of peaceful town with some colours of U Minh.

 

Gao Giong Eco-tourism is a typical example of Dong Thap Muoi’s ecosystem, with 250 hectares of old growth forest and over 36 hectares of bird park, varying in species.

 

National vestige Go Thap has many historical-cultural values of the nation and human beings. Coming from My Hoa road, Go Thap vestige includes five typical relics: Go Thap Muoi, Co Tu tower, the tomb and temple worshiping Doc Binh Kieu, Minh Su Mound, and Ba Chua Xu Shrine. Archaeologists discovered many valuable relics here, evidence of the ancient Oc Eo Civilization.

 

Vestige of Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac is the work honouring Mr Nguyen Sinh Sac, father of President Ho Chi Minh. The whole vestige is divided into three areas: the tomb, Uncle Ho’s house of stilts and lotus pond. Annually, on lunar October 27^th, people gather here to hold a solemn death anniversary for Junior Doctor Nguyen Sinh Sac, as it is a national cultural festival.

 

Developing trade villages to support tourism is a key part of tourism development in Dong Thap Province. Currently, Dong Thap has 44 trade villages certified by provincial People’s Committee, among which many trade villages have great tourist appeal such as Sa Dec Bonsai Village, Dinh Yen Mat Village (Lap Vo district), village making pork hash (Lai Vung district), and Pottery and Porcelain An Hiep Village (Chau Thanh district).

 

The number of domestic and foreign tourists coming to Dong Thap is increasing. In 2010 alone, Dong Thap welcomed 1.18 million tourists, including 16,500 foreign arrivals.

 

To get these impressive achievements, the province has paid attention to developing tourism areas and upgrading the transportation network to connect provincial tourism complexes. The province also gradually diversifies and raises tourism product quality, as well as upgrades restaurants and hotels in the tourism system to high standards, renewing serving style to please tourists.

 

In 2011, Dong Thap province focuses on developing eco-tourism and social-historical tourism, fostering communication activities, calling for investment and training tourism human resources. Its focus also goes to upgrading tourism accommodations and expanding tourism services, bettering tourism products’ quality and improving competitiveness of tourism enterprises. Besides, the province will encourage economic sectors to invest, especially in product diversification and tourist attraction. At the same time, the province speeds up the planned upgrading of tourism areas and key infrastructure connecting tourism spots, putting priority on allocating funds to upgrade and extend the road to Xeo Quyt and Gao Giong.

 

Provincial tourism will prioritize fostering market research and expansion, promoting links with travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong delta provinces for river tourism. In addition, the province will maintain efficient exploitation of key tourism spots and boundary tourism. The tourism industry aims to welcome 1.55 million tourists in 2011, including 30,000 foreign ones, gaining turnover of VND107.4 billion, and making Dong Thap a regular tourism destination.