Cấm Mountain in An Giang Province has been much popular with local tourists in recent years. — Photo laodong.vn

Đồng Tháp Province is famous for its Tràm Chim National Park. — Photo sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — Provinces in the Mekong Delta have seen a decrease in the number of tourists due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cần Thơ City has always been a popular destination in the delta but the number of tourists was only 467,200 in October and 3.5 million in the first 10 months of then year, down 53 per cent year-on-year. Revenues from tourism activities in the latter period were VNĐ2,045 billion, down 43.4 per cent.

According to its Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, though the city has several advantages in terms of location and quality roads and waterway and airway infrastructure, the pandemic has hit the tourism business.

Kiên Giang Province received 323,000 visitors in October, down 52 per cent from the same period last year.

In the year-to-date it got 4.6 million tourists, down 39 per cent.

Stimulus programmes

According to the An Giang Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, tourism has experienced a slight growth recently following the implementation of some stimulus programmes.

“We are preparing stimulus programmes for upcoming occasions like year-end shopping, Christmas and New Year, together with various tours,” deputy director of the province's culture and tourism authority Đào Sĩ Tuấn said.

“At the same time we have co-ordinated with travel agencies to reduce prices to multiple destinations."

Ngô Quang Tuyên, deputy director of Đồng Tháp Province's culture and tourism authority, said the province is offering promotions for handicraft products and specialities to encourage tourists to buy them. 

It has also improved the service quality at the Sa Đéc flower village, Lai Vung tangerine garden and Tràm Chim National Park, and promoted tourism links between the Mekong Delta provinces and HCM City to attract more tourists during the western New Year and Vietnamese traditional Lunar New Year.

Nguyễn Khánh Tùng, director of the Cần Thơ Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the city has stepped up efforts to revive tourism and hopes to achieve 60 per cent of this year’s target.

The department has collaborated with relevant authorities to offer 10-50 per cent discounts at hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions, shopping centres, entertainment and transportation, and others.

The programme is expected to run through the end of January next year, together with multiple events such as the 2021 Cần Thơ Spring Flower Street. VNS