SAMPLE: Tourists select fruit at a garden in Phong Điền District. Travel agencies and local tour firms in Cần Thơ City have been working to build a new model around "Royal Culinary and Macrobiotic Tourism" in order to attract more visitors. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

Ánh Tuyết

The southern city of Cần Thơ is offering new products and services to help meet the increasing demand of tourists.

Travel agencies and local tour firms have been working to build a new model around "Royal Culinary and Macrobiotic Tourism" in order to attract more visitors.

Tourist destinations have been connected with organic farms and artisans to provide a quite simply delightful menu.

The main tours include the Bùi Hữu Nghĩa memorial area, orchid gardens, the Bình Thủy communal hall and Sơn Islet, where guests can enjoy chicken stew with medicinal herbs.

Nhâm Hùng, a cultural researcher and tourism expert, said it should help arouse visitors' curiosity and desire to explore the destination.

“Tour guides need to know about the traditions, culture, architecture and cuisine so they can draw tourists' attention and help them explore the area more,” Hùng said.

“The plan is to provide visitors with an in-depth understanding about the sites with fascinating legends. Tours are designed to revitalise exclusive royal culinary culture and local dishes with elaborate recipes associated with the area’s cultures and traditions,” said Hùng.

STROLL: Tourists at a fruit garden in Phong Điền District, Cần Thơ City. The southern city of Cần Thơ is offering new products and services to help meet the increasing demands of tourists. VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ

Lê Thị Bảy, a tourism official in Bình Thủy District, said historical stories and the way tour guides and local people tell those stories had helped increase the value of the destination.

She took the Bình Thủy communal house as an example.

“Today, many visitors want to learn about history. When they arrive, they are also served with special food from different menus. All the dishes are cooked by local chefs and have the real original flavours - the very secrets the chefs who are the true followers of the royal families have inherited from their ancestors,” Bảy said.

Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Nhung, a tourist from Huế, said her family were on a three-day tour of Cần Thơ.

The family was offered to visit Bình Thủy communal house, the ancient orchid garden and the Cantho Farm on the last day of the tour.

“What I like most is the way visitors have enough time to admire the landscape, witness local life and enjoy the delicious royal food,” said Nhung.

Nhung and her family were all satisfied with the tour, saying it gave them the time to enjoy the whole experience without being rushed.

FOR THE POT: A young tour guide shows off locally grown vegetables that will be served in a hotpot. VNA/VNS Photo Ánh Tuyết

Hùng said the city’s efforts had contributed to the development of the tourism sector in Cần Thơ and the Mekong Delta.

“Institutes and schools that train personnel need to teach them foreign languages ​​and folk culture,” the expert said.

“People working in tourism, especially tour guides, must always be aware of their responsibility as ‘ambassadors’ to connect visitors and the destinations,” Hùng added.

Last year proved to be a success for tourism business in Cần Thơ since the city welcomed about 8.8 million tourists, an increase of 4.6 per cent over the previous year, according to the Cần Thơ Tourism Association.

GROWING: An organic farm in Cần Thơ. VNA/VNS Photo Ánh Tuyết

Also last year, the city boosted relations with foreign countries including South Korea, Malaysia and Japan.

Nguyễn Minh Tuấn, deputy director of the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the increase in the number of visitors to Cần Thơ was partly due to new routes opened in 2019.

“The number of routes connecting the city has increased, and flights have also increased by nearly 25 per cent," Tuấn said. VNS