200,000 more than last year, according to the regional tourism agency,
the Mekong Delta Tourism Association.
Of this
figure, the number of foreign visitors is estimated to increase by 20
percent over last year, reaching 1.46 million.
An
Giang, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, and Can Tho City will top the list of most
visited provinces in the delta, the association said.
The tourism sector in the region has attracted increasing numbers of
visitors since many tourism companies have introduced different kinds of
tours.
Travel companies in Can Tho, An Giang, Kien
Giang and Hau Giang, for instance, have strengthened the development of
waterway tours and festival tourism, among other products.
Meanwhile, companies in Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Soc Trang provinces have
promoted eco-tourism to mangrove forests, and tours that include
festivals and other cultural activities of the Khmer people.
In Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long and Tra Vinh, waterway tourism,
visiting orchards and traditional villages, historical vestiges and
other community-based tourism have been strongly developed in the past
time.
Provinces in the delta have also invested in
upgrading infrastructure including airports, roads and bridges, making
it more comfortable for visitors.
To further promote
tourism, the delta plans to set up a center for tourism promotion and
build a tourism portal to provide updated and accurate tourism
information.
Travel companies will strive to launch more tourism products and improve the quality of their services.
The region is famous for its diverse ecosystems.
Its major attractions include: orchards on the Thoi Son Island in Tien
Giang province; coconut gardens in Ben Tre province; the ecosystem in
flooded cajeput forests of the Dong Thap Muoi area, Tra Su cajeput
forests in An Giang Province; and coastal mangrove forests (bird
sanctuaries, nature reserves, national parks, biosphere reserves) in Can
Tho, Dong Thap, Bac Lieu and Kien Giang provinces./.
