HCM City Party Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan speaks at the event

According to Nhan, HCM City has co-operated with some southwestern localities for tourism development, but there was limited efficiency.

Nhan said it is necessary to set up a council for HCM City and Mekong Delta tourism development, including official representing the localities and travel firms.

The Mekong Delta has many cultural and historical sites, including those nationally-recognised, which need to be promoted more widely.

The Mekong Delta region should work out a tourism plan, including a general brand for the promotion.

At the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam supported the HCM City-Mekong Delta connectivity for tourism development. He highlighted the significance of taking advantages of high technology in tourism services.

He also advocated the establishment of the inter-regional tourism council as proposed by Nhan.

According to Nguyen Dong Hoa, Deputy Director General of the HCM City-based Saigontourist Holding Company – an operator of many trans-locality tours, about 70% of the firm’s foreign visitors to HCM City said they wanted to continue their trips on to the Mekong Delta.

Hoa mentioned the necessity for HCM City and Mekong Delta localities to define their special tourism products to lure holidaymakers.

Cao Xuan Thu Van, Director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Department of Bac Lieu Province, said many Mekong Delta cities and provinces are striving to develop their unique tourism products, like spiritual tourism in An Giang, waterway tourism in Can Tho, and tours of economic facilities like wind power plants or hi-tech shrimp farms in Bac Lieu.

On this occasion, the Mekong Delta region also called on investors for 128 culture, sports and tourism projects, including a mangrove ecological park project in Tra Vinh Province, an ecotourism zone project on the Tan Loc river islet in Can Tho City.