The Mekong Delta region has enough natural resources for developing tourism products in general and agritourism in particular. However, its tourism products are lacking in innovation, according to Phan Dinh Hue, director of Vietcircle Travel and Service Company.

Hue told The Saigon Times on the sidelines of a workshop on improving the effectiveness of agritourism activities, held in An Giang Province yesterday, October 1, that the Mekong Delta region is rich in natural resources such as orchards, rivers and mountains for tourism development.

“These areas are very appealing to tourists, especially those from Europe,” he said, noting that the delta is sunny all year round, which gives the area a competitive edge for tourism development during all four seasons.

However, Hue of Vietcircle ascribed the similarity of tourism products to the fact that tourism service providers have limited thinking and knowledge of the development of tourism products.

“Tourism products require differences to have a competitive edge,” he said, adding that the problem lies in the fact that tourism service providers just copy ideas from each other, resulting in boredom among tourists.

He said the delta has sufficient resources to create diversity in tourism products, such as specializing in fruit, mangrove ecology, ethnic culture and spiritual tourism.

As there is currently not much of a difference in tourism products, tourists do not stay long. “If (tourism service providers) can create differences (in their offerings), tourists may stay for a week, not just one or two days, as (the region) is a large stretch of land equal to some 50% of Austria,” he remarked.

In addition to the development of unique products, in terms of value chains, lodging services should be improved, he suggested, pointing out that tourists who go sightseeing may spend a maximum of VND100,000-200,000 (US$4.3-8.6), but if they stay overnight, they may spend up to VND500,000 (US$21.4).

Nguyen Thanh Binh, vice chairman of the People’s Committee of An Giang, stated at the launch of the workshop that the delta is a large agricultural region and one of the seven most popular tourist areas in Vietnam. It has peaceful river views and residents are friendly and hospitable.

Binh said that An Giang, which is the watershed of the Mekong Delta, has a wide range of natural advantages, such as fertile alluvial soil, which are suitable for agricultural development to serve agritourism.

However, the development of tourism products in the Mekong Delta region has not met expectations. Floating markets and fruit orchards are common among localities.

Ngo Hoai Duc, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said that the Mekong Delta region has strong potential for the growth of agritourism. He added that it is necessary to create unique products and enhance the quality of tourism service workers to better serve tourists.

SGT