20 Years of Milestones

"Can Tho is the political, economic, cultural, and transportation center of the Mekong Delta. It is a bustling city surrounded by rivers and canals, lush green gardens, bustling trade, and likely the place with the most foreigners in the Mekong Delta. This is also an ideal stopover for many tourists, especially for exploring floating markets, experiencing boat rides along canals and ditches" - these are introductions from the Australian Lonely Planet travel magazine about Can Tho, along with numerous destinations: Cai Rang floating market, Phong Dien floating market, Ong Temple, Binh Thuy ancient house... Previously, the British Rough Guide travel magazine once selected Cai Rang floating market as one of the 10 most impressive markets in the world, or Mysteriousworld also chose Can Tho into the top 10 cities with the most beautiful canal systems in the world. These things show that Can Tho tourism is being positioned on the international tourism map, marking a prominent milestone over the past nearly 20 years of tourism development.

The rapid development in building tourism products can be clearly seen. Can Tho identifies its strengths in river-based urban tourism (with the highlight of Cai Rang floating market) and MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) through the project to adjust the overall planning for developing Can Tho city tourism until 2020, with orientations to 2030. River-based and MICE tourism are focused on investment, forming distinctive products.

From that, Can Tho formed a tourism spatial cluster: Ninh Kieu - Cai Rang - Binh Thuy - Phong Dien. Ninh Kieu district with strong commercial service infrastructure development promotes urban tourism, night products such as night markets (Tran Phu, Ninh Kieu Quay), developing food areas, pedestrian streets, and river cruises. Binh Thuy promotes community-based, cultural, and historical tourism. Phong Dien creates highlights of green, eco-tourism. Cai Rang attracts visitors with river culture, craft villages, and homestays... Each district has gradually formed unique products, contributing to diversifying Can Tho's tourism product system.

Enterprises also strive to innovate and upgrade tourism products and services. Mr. Nguyen Huu Hoang, Deputy Director of My Khanh Tourism Village, said: "My Khanh Tourism Village has operated since 1996, originally just having a few acres of garden houses and only sightseeing gardens and food. Over time, we have expanded the area and developed more diverse experiential services. Today, My Khanh Tourism Village has over 30 hectares and over 20 services imbued with the essence of Phong Dien countryside and the Mekong Delta, such as experiences of a day as a landlord, a day as a farmer. We feel lucky and proud to have accompanied Can Tho Tourism in its 20-year development journey. A memorable milestone was in December 2023 when My Khanh Tourism Village received the first 4-star OCOP tourism certificate in the Mekong Delta region. We are increasingly aware of our role in preserving and building branded products to attract tourists".

Can Tho's characteristic tourism product system of events and festivals also leave a distinct imprint: Southern Folk Cake Festival (March 10th Lunar Calendar), Tan Loc Fruit Garden Festival (May 5th Lunar Calendar), Ky Yen Festival of Binh Thuy (15th day of the 4th Lunar Month annually), Cai Rang Floating Market Cultural Tourism Festival, Phong Dien Ecotourism Festival, Ninh Kieu Flower Lantern Night Festival... Can Tho has been chosen to host many regional and international events such as the Vietnam International Travel Mart Can Tho, Ho Chi Minh City - Mekong Delta Tourism Connection Forum, and Southern Economic Corridor Tourism Cooperation Conference. At the same time, it connects to promote tourism with many countries: Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia...

The development of Can Tho tourism over the past 20 years is clearly reflected through breakthroughs in visitor numbers and revenues. In 2004, Can Tho tourism welcomed about 407,300 visitors, with total revenues of about 189.143 billion VND. In 2019, the number of visitors to Can Tho reached over 8.8 million, with total tourism revenues of over 4,435 billion VND. The increase in visitor numbers over 15 years (2004-2019) was over 20 times. 2019 was a year of strong breakthrough development for Can Tho tourism. Visitors to Can Tho increased strongly and steadily from 2010 until now, with an average annual growth rate of 12%. In 2023, Can Tho welcomed 5.99 million visitors, with total tourism revenues reaching 5,420 billion VND.

Currently, the whole city has 636 tourism accommodation facilities with over 11,000 rooms, 7 times more than in 2004. Among them, there are 133 hotels from 1 to 5 stars (over 5,000 rooms). In 2004, Can Tho had virtually no 4-5 star hotels, but now the proportion of high-end hotels is increasing and being invested to meet the development of MICE tourism. The rapid development and recovery of Can Tho's tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic was due to timely and appropriate master planning orientations that promoted local potential and strengths. The City Party Committee - People's Council - People's Committee issued resolutions, plans, and projects with decisive significance, creating a foundation for breakthroughs. This helped focus proper attention with priorities on tourism as one of the city's economic spearheads.

Appropriate directions

2016 marked an important transition for Can Tho tourism as city leaders issued many decisions to promote the development of the smokeless industry. Notably, Resolution No. 03-NQ/TU dated August 1, 2016 of the Can Tho City Party Committee (Resolution 03) and Plan No. 111/KH-UBND dated September 19, 2016 of the City People's Committee (Plan 111) on accelerating tourism development were important premises for sectors, districts, and towns to develop action programs and create changes for the tourism industry. The objectives of Resolution 03 and Plan 111 were to make tourism a spearhead economic sector in Can Tho by 2020, affirm its brand, and develop sustainably; develop tourism professionally, modernly, and with priorities and focus; and develop deeply to ensure quality and effectiveness. Oriented as such, Can Tho tourism has become an "Ideal - Safe - Friendly - Quality Destination", where the "Civilization of Mekong River and Canals" converges. Subsequently, Resolution No. 10-NQ/TU on accelerating tourism development in the new situation; Plan No. 185/KH-UBND on implementing Resolution No. 82/NQ-CP dated May 18, 2023 of the Government on key tasks and solutions to rapidly recover, accelerate effective and sustainable tourism development in the city in the 2023-2025 period and following years; once again emphasized the goal of basically making tourism an economic spearhead sector in Can Tho by 2025, with high quality, diverse and competitive products and an attractive destination in the region and country.

On that basis, in recent years Can Tho City's tourism infrastructure has been invested in comprehensively. Can Tho City is now a key gateway with the role of transferring and coordinating guests for the Mekong Delta region. Comprehensive development of roads, waterways, and aviation has created conditions for Can Tho to directly connect and link with provinces and cities that are national tourism centers. Can Tho tourism has linked with Hanoi City, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang City, Khanh Hoa Province, Lam Dong Province, Ninh Binh Province, Quang Ninh Province…; or formed clusters like Can Tho - An Giang - Kien Giang, Can Tho - Hau Giang, Can Tho - An Giang - Kien Giang - Ca Mau - Bac Lieu…

Currently, the Can Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is developing and implementing many investment and tourism development projects and plans: The project "Preserving and promoting the national intangible cultural heritage of Cai Rang floating market to serve tourism development by 2030, with a vision to 2045", the project "Developing Can Tho tourism in an ecological direction associated with the city's characteristic cultural values", the project "Developing and building distinctive Can Tho tourism products for the 2018-2020 period, with a vision to 2030", Program No. 16/CTr-UBND dated December 22, 2017 on promoting Can Tho tourism for the 2018-2020 period, oriented towards 2030, developing the nighttime economy, the plan to develop human resources for the city's tourism industry for the 2021-2025 period, digital transformation associated with developing Can Tho's smart tourism system... At the same time, it advises the People's Committee to approve and call for investment in tourism projects, hoping to create further breakthroughs for the city's tourism.