Mekong Delta provinces cooperate in destination management

Representatives from three Mekong Delta provinces have met at a workshop on supporting tourism destination management in Phu Quoc island district to discuss measures to boost tourism cooperation and make tourism products more competitive and public-private partnership (PPP).

Participants at the workshop co-organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Program funded by the European Union (EU-ESRT) made a number of practical proposals to support tourism destination management in the region.

EU-ESRT expert Robert Travers said the major challenge for the region is that most visitors stay here only one night and they consider it just an additional place during their journey, not a destination.

To deal with the challenge, he said State management agencies and businesses should devise proper solutions, focussing on certain markets. In addition, the State should closely coordinate with the Mekong Delta region to develop special and unique tourism centres.

Participants proposed improving the quality of resorts and accommodation units along rivers and agricultural tourism, particularly fruit gardens.

The workshop is considered a follow-up technical support from the EU-ESRT project after the meeting held on October 18, 2014 in Kien Giang province on tourism development cooperation.

The EU-ESRT project reported to the workshop results of a fact-finding tour of three provinces – An Giang, Kien Giang and Can Tho – from January 12-27 of domestic and external consultants with the aim of assisting the three provinces in developing tourism products and tourism promotion plans.

(VOV)