Mekong Delta eyes 34 million tourists by 2020

CAN THO – The Mekong Delta is looking to attract 34 million tourists by 2020, including 3.5 million foreigners, according to a master tourism development plan until 2020 with a vision towards 2030.

A view of Duong Dong Beach on Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province.

The island will be developed into one of two major tourism centers for the entire Mekong Delta

PHOTO: HUYNH KIM

Under the plan, which has been approved by the Prime Minister, the respective figures would rise to 52 million and 6.5 million by 2030.

Ha Van Sieu, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said at an event in Can Tho City last week that international tourists would come mostly from Western Europe, North America and Northeast Asia.

The tourism sector in the delta is expected to achieve total revenues of VND25 trillion (US$1.1 billion) by 2020 and VND111 trillion by 2030.

The delta will have around 53,000 hotel rooms, with 15% of them meeting three- to five-star standards by 2020. The respective numbers by 2030 would be 100,000 and 30%.

The sector expects to create 230,000 new jobs by 2020 and 450,000 by 2030.

To translate those targets into reality, the delta will have to develop signature tourism products such as houseboat life, ecotourism, cultural heritages, tours of rural areas, and historical relic sites.

The plan will develop Can Tho City, and Phu Quoc Island off Kien Giang Province into two key tourism hubs for the entire delta. Meanwhile, My Tho City in Tien Giang Province will serve as a tourism center for the eastern part of the delta.

The Mekong Delta last year reported over 7.6 million visitor arrivals, a 15% pickup against 2015. The figure included around 900,000 foreign tourists, up 27%. Tourism revenues grew 12.4% year-on-year to VND9.7 trillion.

Huynh Kim