It plans to host the Tan Loc Fruit Garden Festival, Cai Rang Floating Market Festival, Ninh Kieu Flower Garland Festival and Phong Dien Ecotourism Festival, Nguyen Hoang On, director of the department’s Tourism Development Centre, said.

It would also regularly check tourist routes, tourist attractions and traditional craft villages, wharves, hotels and other accommodation to improve the quality of services, he said.

The department has adopted the code of conduct for tourists issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism last month.

It has set up a tourist hotline (0888 177 666) and a bilingual website at http://tourismcantho.vn to offer assistance and provide information to tourists.

The number of tourist arrivals jumped by 10 per cent in the first quarter of the year to more than 1.86 million, according to the department.

Of them, nearly 500,000 visitors stayed overnight, including more than 75,000 foreigners.

Tourism revenues were worth more than VND496 billion (US$21.94 million), a year-on-year increase of 2 per cent.

The city is home to 43 tourism companies and 244 hotels and other stay options.

Last year the city had welcomed 5.3 million visitors and earned revenues of VND1.8 trillion ($79.64 million).