Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien stated that by 2023, Can Tho City aims to receive over 5.9 million visitors (a 17% increase compared to the same period in 2022), including over 2.9 million overnight visitors and nearly 159,000 international visitors. The total tourism revenue is expected to reach over 5,400 billion VND, a 32% increase compared to the same period.

To achieve positive results, Can Tho City has closely followed the direction and guidance of the Government, the Prime Minister, and the central ministries and agencies in implementing various measures to develop tourism. One of the key measures is to prioritize expanding connections and cooperation with provinces and cities nationwide to promote and develop tourism…

So far, Can Tho has signed tourism cooperation agreements with more than 20 provinces and cities nationwide, including the Mekong Delta provinces, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Binh Dinh, Thanh Hoa, etc. Through these agreements, Can Tho has contributed to the formation of inter-regional tourism routes, shared experiences in state management, and created opportunities for tourism businesses between localities to meet, sign cooperation agreements, develop tours, and build new attractive tourism products for visitors to Can Tho City and vice versa.

In addition, the city is also focusing on developing infrastructure, especially transportation infrastructure, to maximize the potential and advantages and effectively exploit the tourism resources of the city. The goal is to make the tourism industry in Can Tho City a key economic sector by 2025, with high-quality, diverse, and competitive tourism products, becoming an attractive destination in the region and the country.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien, along with other localities in the Mekong Delta, Can Tho City is focusing on developing high-quality, diverse, experiential, and value-added tourism products based on market orientation and tailored to the needs of each target group. The city is also building and implementing pilot models for eco-tourism and rural tourism, gradually positioning the distinctive tourism brand of the city. However, the tourism industry in Can Tho City, and the Mekong Delta in general, is facing challenges and difficulties, such as similar tourism products and approaches that have not fully utilized the potential and strengths of each locality…

At the seminar, many opinions were expressed that the Mekong Delta is evaluated as a region with great potential and advantages for tourism development and is identified as one of the seven tourist regions of the country, with key products such as ecotourism, cultural-historical tourism, island tourism, MICE tourism, etc. Although there are many conditions for tourism development, the pace of tourism development in the region in recent times has not met expectations, including limitations and difficulties in constructing and developing tours, routes, and unique tourism products.

Delegates shared valuable information in assessing the current situation and proposing solutions for the development of special tours, routes, and tourism products in the region.

At the seminar, delegates had the opportunity to listen to experts, scientists, managers, and tourism businesses who shared valuable information in assessing the current situation and proposing solutions for the development of special tours, routes, and tourism products in the region. They discussed shaping the main tours, routes, and products with distinctive features to effectively connect destinations in the whole Mekong Delta region, contributing to the strong development of the smokeless industry in the region in the near future.