Foreign tourists visit Cái Răng floating market in Cần Thơ City. — VNA/VNS Photo

CẦN THƠ — The Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ is striving to develop unique tourism products with distinct local identities and attract investment in breakthrough tourism projects to boost international arrivals, officials have said..

Following its merger with Hậu Giang and Sóc Trăng provinces, the city’s tourism sector has entered a new phase of development, with a larger geographical footprint and more abundant and diverse tourism resources, said Sầm Long Giang, deputy director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In addition to its traditional offerings in river tourism, urban exploration, orchard tours, and culinary experiences, Cần Thơ has the potential to develop coastal tourism, cultural and spiritual tourism, community-based tourism, and agritourism, Giang said at a conference held recently by Cần Thơ City People’s Committee to discuss tourism development strategies for the new era.

Despite abundant natural and cultural resources, the city has faced limitations in transforming these advantages into distinctive, high-value-added tourism products, he said.

Some products remain repetitive and have yet to leave a strong impression on visitors, he said.

Tourism infrastructure and services have not kept pace with the requirements of the city’s new development phase.

The quality of human resources, destination management capacity, service standards, and the overall tourism environment all require improvement to meet travellers’ demands, he added.

Investment, talent key to growth

Đào Ngọc Cảnh, PhD, dean of the Faculty of Tourism at Nam Cần Thơ University, said Cần Thơ City occupies a prime location in the heart of the Mekong Delta, possessing all the necessary conditions to serve as the coordination hub and driving force to accelerate regional tourism integration across the delta.

Despite the city’s beautiful river networks, including the scenic Ninh Kiều Wharf, it still has no dedicated tourism port, international cruise port, or major international events to attract visitors, Cảnh said.

The city must enhance its international integration to foster regional development links. This includes launching international air routes to Cần Thơ and building an international cruise port, he said.

Phan Bửu Toàn, vice rector of Sài Gòn Tourism College, said tourism can serve as a vital economic sector, a channel for promoting the city's image, a means of preserving culture and a tool for securing sustainable livelihoods for local people.

While technology can be modernised, infrastructure can be synchronised and products can be diversified, the soul of tourism remains rooted in its practitioners, Toàn said.

Training tourism human resources involves more than just teaching skills, he said.

It means fostering a sense of pride, uplifting livelihoods, expanding opportunities and empowering every citizen to become an active stakeholder in regional development, he added.

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Điệp, vice chairwoman of the Cần Thơ City People’s Committee, emphasised that tourism contributes to driving economic growth, promoting the country’s image and people, and preserving cultural heritage.

Tourism development is not merely an economic requirement but also an important task for leveraging local potential and advantages, Điệp said.

She urged local departments, sectors, the tourism association, and the business community to pay greater attention to building distinctive tourism products and training human resources.

The city will focus on attracting investment to key tourism projects and significantly improving its investment and business environment, she added.

In the first half of this year, Cần Thơ welcomed more than 7.5 million visitors, including more than 382,000 foreign visitors, up 19 per cent year on year. — VNS