A wide range of activities will be organised at the Culture-Sport-Tourism Festival in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang from January 10-14, aiming to create momentum for local tourism to thrive.

Tân Thành Sea area in Gò Công Đông District, Tien Giang Province, which is home to beautiful beaches with black sands. — Photo vietravel.com.vn

Exhibitions, fairs, cuisine festivals and a forum on tourism start-ups are scheduled during the event.

According to director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nguyễn Đức Đảm, the locality welcomed more than 2 million visitors in 2018, including 811,000 foreigners, up 8.98 per cent and 10.42 per cent from the previous year, respectively. More than VNĐ992 billion (US$42.79 million) was generated from tourism services, equivalent to 109.66 per cent of the yearly plan and up 26.19 per cent from 2017.

A report from the provincial People’s Committee showed that from 2013-2017, more than 1.9 trillion VNĐ ($81.96 million) was poured into tourism development. The province witnessed average tourist growth of 7.95 per cent in the five-year period.

As a new feature in local policy, tourism connections inside and outside the province are part of local authorities’ efforts to promote sustainable tourism development. Tourists have been impressed by new tours linking Cái Bè tourism site (Cái Bè District) with Tân Phong Islet (Cai Lậy District) and Bình Hoa Phước Islet (Vĩnh Long Province), and other waterway tours to An Giang Province, Cần Thơ City and Cambodia.

Tien Giang is now famous for community-based, cultural, spiritual and healthcare tourism, with fascinating destinations such as Thới Sơn Islet, Đông Hòa Hiệp Village, the floating market and traditional craft village in Cái Bè District, the orchards on Tân Phong Islet, Đồng Tháp Mưởi ecological conservation area, and Trúc Lâm Chánh Giác monastery.

In 2019, Tien Giang Province targets 2.1 million tourists, including 850,000 foreigners, and VNĐ1.14 trillion ($49.19 million) in tourism revenue. — VNS