PHÚ YÊN — Tourism officials from HCM City and the central provinces of Bình Định, Ninh Thuận and Phú Yên have agreed to expand a joint programme to develop inter-regional packages.

The programme, which was begun in 2013, resulted in the development of new tours, improvement in the quality of tourism products and an increasing number of people visiting these localities.

However, travel firms said underdeveloped tourism infrastructure and a shortage of human resource are key obstacles to the development of tourism in the three central provinces.

Đoàn Thị Lộc, deputy director of Saigontourist’s inbound tourism market, said coastal areas are the main tourism destinations of these provinces.

In summer, tourists flock to coastal areas and islands but the localities have been unable to cope with this rising demand, she told a meeting held in Phú Yên Province on January 21.

With a shortage of tourism services in these provinces, travel firms have no choice but to switch to other destinations that have adequate tourism services, she said.

Hồ Văn Tiến, director of the Phú Yên Province Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said poor tourism infrastructure hindered the development of the province’s tourism industry.

Roads, railway and aviation fail to keep pace with the rising tourism demand, he said.

With just a few three- and four-star hotels near its beaches, the province does not have enough accommodation if a large number of tourists arrive on package tours.

Ninh Thuận has only one four-star resort and three three-star resorts, resulting in a serious shortage of accommodation, according to an official from the province’s Tourism Association.

Tạ Thị Tú Uyên, a Vietravel official, said each locality has its own cultural identity that should be utilised to create unique tourism products.

Localities should publicise tourism development plans one year in advance so that travel firms have enough time to develop and market new products, she said.

Nguyễn Văn Dũng, director of the Bình Định Province Department of Tourism, said the three central provinces should strengthen co-operation to facilitate inter-regional tourism packages and further promote links with HCM City.

Lack of accommodation and transportation and shortage of trained tourism human resources remain pressing issues that need to be addressed in the three provinces, he said.

Bùi Tá Hoàng Vũ, director of the HCM City Department of Tourism, said tourists prefer inter-regional packages instead of a single destination.

The tourism co-operation programme aims to further develop such packages, he added. — VNS