HCM CITY — Tourism officials in the tourism triangle of HCM City, the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng and coastal province of Bình Thuận have agreed to expand a tourism co-operation programme to jointly develop unique inter-regional packages.

A programme called Tourism Development Triangle of HCM City, Lâm Đồng Province and Bình Thuận Province had been launched in 2013 with various inter-regional tours created to offer people the chance to visit the beautiful beaches in Mũi Né, the picturesque landscapes and flowers in Đà Lạt and bustling markets of HCM City, Bùi Tá Hoàng Vũ, director of the HCM City tourism department, said.

Under the programme, the three localities have exchanged information on tourism strategies and investment and incentive policies to create favourable conditions for investors to invest in tourism projects, Vũ said at a conference held yesterday in HCM City.

In the past four years investors from HCM City have sunk nearly VNĐ31.25 trillion (US$1.37 billion) in 240 tourism projects in Bình Thuận Province, accounting for two-thirds of all licensed projects there.

Lâm Đồng Province has attracted VNĐ30 trillion ($1.31 billion) in 100 projects from them, accounting for 44 per cent.

"However, travel firms participating in the programme have not received any incentives, resulting in lack of co-operation," Nguyễn Văn Mỹ, director of Lửa Việt Tours, said.

Solutions

"Tourism officials, travel firms and stakeholders in the three localities should identify the best things they can offer and create appealing new tour packages that enable tourists to visit all three destinations at one time," Mỹ said.

Lâm Đồng Province should focus on adventure travel, which is favoured by young travellers, and Bình Thuận on sea-related tours and eco-tourism, he said.

As an economic hub, HCM City should take advantage of its brand-name boutiques and wide variety of local and foreign goods.

Ngô Minh Chính, director of Bình Thuận Province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the three localities should work together to create truly unique inter-regional tours to attract local and international visitors.

Thus, tourists can relax on white-sand beaches and swim in the sea in Mũi Né, head to Đà Lạt to enjoy the clean and cool air and flower gardens, and shop in HCM City before ending the tour and leaving for home, he said.

Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc, deputy director of the Lâm Đồng Province tourism department, agreed that travel firms participating in the programme should get incentives with respect to transportation and accommodation for guests to encourage them to develop new inter-regional products and undertake promotion and marketing at home and abroad.

Tourism sector officials from the three localities promised to further promote the co-operation programme and work with a group of 30 leading travel firms in the three localities to develop new products. — VNS