5:25:16 PM | 14/12/2011
According to the plan to hold National Tourism Years for the period 2012 - 2017, the National Tourism Year 2016 will take place in Kien Giang. This is an event of great significance, which confirms the strength of the Kien Giang Tourism, the Mekong Delta in particular and Vietnam in general in the eyes of foreign tourists, contributing to the growth of tourist volume.
So far, the National Tourism Year has become the most important domestic annual activity of Vietnam tourism industry. Tourism Year is held every year alternately in each region and locality with themes associated with the characteristics of that locality.
Realizing the importance of the National Tourism Year, in 2005, Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee issued the official letter No. 426/CV-UBND dated 6th June 2005 on the registration of Kien Giang Tourism Year, requesting Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to approve the organization of National Tourism Year in 2010 in Kien Giang. However, the Government Office recently issued an official announcement about the Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan’s agreement on the organizing National Tourism Year in some localities for the period 2012 to 2017. Accordingly, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, Tourism proposed a list of six localities which will respectively take the lead in organizing this for the period 2012 – 2017. And National Tourism Year 2016 will be hosted by Kien Giang province.
With the potential and advantages of the Mekong Delta and Kien Giang province in particular, combined with the dominant characteristic of exploitation of the potential strengths of the Delta and the sea, islands, National Tourism Year 2016 is expected to be entitled "Delta and Sea, Southern Island." With so many diverse activities, the program hosted by Kien Giang province will be held in all 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta. The provinces in the Mekong Delta have many potential advantages associated with the development of tourism promotion of the cultural value of intangible objects and features of Dragon River and the sea and islands. This is also an opportunity to promote tourism potential of the river, sea and islands in Vietnam on the national scale.
In addition to the key program, the activities of folk festivals, sports provincial, regional and national arts and culture programs and events tourism will also be held in 2016 in Kien Giang. Additionally, the organizer will call provinces in the Mekong Delta to participate in this event by registering and organizing a dominant local event to create the inter-regional spirit and increase the popularity to attract more and more tourists. It is expected that the National Tourism Year 2016 will create a play field of 35 cultural activities, sports and tourism throughout the year.
Mr Le Minh Hoang, Director of Culture, Sport and Tourism Department of Kien Giang, emphasized that realizing the important role of the tourism sector in socio- economic development strategy of the province, the province has spared no efforts to develop tourism. As a result, the local tourism sector has made remarkable achievements during the recent years. The province has created a favourable environment to attract economic sectors to invest in improving infrastructure for tourism. To date, Kien Giang province has had 39 tourist operators and 238 tourist accommodation establishments. In the first 10 months of 2011, Kien Giang tourism welcomed more than 4.42 million visitors, generating total revenue of VND 612 billion. The province has attracted investment in tourism projects from non-budgetary funds. Specifically, 236 tourism projects using non-state budget have received competent authorities’ approval on the policies and certificates with a total investment of around 10.283ha.
According to Mr Hoang, to the National Tourism Year 2016, the province will continue to pay due attention on the development of the local tourism products with dominant features in order to attract the tourists, thereby creating its own image for the local tourism. In addition, the province will also focus on building tourism products that are aimed at connecting the domestic destinations and regions with a large number of international visitors.
Gia Phuc