The Mekong Delta in Vietnam has found it hard to lure travelers due to the lack of both international and domestic air routes to the region, said a travel company’s representative

Le Dinh Minh Thy, director of the Can Tho branch of local tour operator Vietravel, said during a seminar on developing tours to and showcasing typical tourism products in the Mekong Delta, held by Kinh Te & Do Thi (Economics & Urban Affairs) newspaper in Can Tho City on Friday, that despite being an international airport, the one in Can Tho City currently lacks connections to any international air routes.

Only four of the 11 domestic air routes linking Can Tho International Airport with other parts in Vietnam remain operational, Thy informed.

She proposed opening routes for charter flights to woo more tourists to the Mekong Delta.

Speaking at the seminar, Nguyen Thuc Hien, vice-chairman of the Can Tho administration, said the city was focusing on developing diverse high-quality tourism products with high added values.

The city is also piloting eco-tourism and rural tourism models, gradually building its typical tourism brands.

However, Hien added that the tourism industry in the city and the Mekong Delta as a whole is facing numerous challenges.

This includes the similarity in tourism products and tourist attraction plans across different localities in the region, which ultimately hinders the promotion of each locality's unique potential and strengths.

The region should launch tours that allow travelers to experience craft villages, meals of local families, fishing activities, and experiences on rice fields.

According to Tran Thanh Nghi, director of a branch of Ben Thanh Tourist Service Corporation in Can Tho City, travel companies want to bring unforgettable experiences to customers through their tourism products.

Therefore, they always seek ways to renew their products by applying technology and organizing interactive activities so that tourists can understand and connect to destinations.

The Mekong Delta welcomed nearly 45 million tourist arrivals last year, up 20.4 percent year on year. Of the total, the number of international travelers to the region topped 1.8 million, surging 257.4 percent against 2022.

The region earned VND45.7 trillion (US$1.8 billion) in tourism revenue in 2023, soaring nearly 42.6 percent, local media reported.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!