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name and promote special products
of the region. Tourism products have
not met the requirements of tourists so
sometimes tourists do not know what to
eat, or what to buy when traveling to the
Mekong Delta’s tourist spots,” he said.
Additionally the tourism infrastructure
and services at tourist spots are poor.
Brighter future
“A trip to the Mekong will introduce
travellers to an exciting experience, and
a mix of natural, cultural and fun ad-
ventures, accentuated by exotic and off
the beaten path places. Travel agencies
must be advisors, giving recommended
destinations and personally checking
out the finest hotels, resorts, restau-
rants and unique experiential tours
designed for travellers,” said Pham Ha
from Luxury Travel.
“Diversifying tour programs is the
key to attract tourists,” said Tran Duc
Dung, director of Phu Quoc Explorer.
“The picturesque landscapes along
the waterfront, friendly Mekong Delta
towns, Phu Quoc’s unspoiled beaches
with pristine white sand and warm az-
ure waters always bewitch international
tourists. That’s why we promote the
fishing tours and water sport activities
around the pearl island,” he added.
Also, according to Dung, Phu Quoc
island is ringed with some of the most
breathtaking beaches which are see-
ing a mushrooming of 4-5 star resorts.
Other great beaches include Mui Nai
(close to Cambodian border) and Hon
Chong. Some islands that have fantastic
beaches are Hon Khoai (Ca Mau), Tho
Chu and Hai Tac (Kien Giang).
“To avoid tourists being bored, it’s
essential to blend various activities and
types of tourism in one tour to make it
more interesting. So, if the north is spe-
cialised in mountain tourism and the
central area is known for its stunning
sea, the south must focus on waterfront
tourism,” said Hue.
“The Mekong River is famous
worldwide so it’s not for no reason
that the French built three Victoria
hotels along the river at Vietnam’s
Can Tho and Chau Doc as well as
Cambodia’s Siem Reap. However, the
region is still lacking hi-end tourism
properties along the river and it has
a shortage of tourist wharfs for over-
night cruises. Also, the environment
is rather polluted,” said Hue. He went
on: “In fact, tourists prefer a chance
to live in the Mekong Delta than to
observe it from afar.”
Tran Dat Duy says it is essential that
local authorities sit together to come
up with comprehensive solutions to up-
grade the quality of tourism services
and products with the aim of satisfying
all: “The Mekong Delta is researching
and planning tourism development,
investing step by step in tourism infra-
structure; increasing the quality of tour-
ism services and regional connections
to make tourism better and better.”