Tourism authorities in Ben Tre and Can Tho have decided to welcome back vacationers to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta localities from November following months of strict travel restrictions meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Ben Tre welcomed its first tourists on November 13 thanks to a two-day tour package organized by Saigontourist that brought 40 people from Ho Chi Minh City to the southern province. 

Visitors had the opportunity to visit the Nguyen Thi Dinh Memorial in Giong Trom District, a special national historical relic site dedicated to late famed poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu in Ba Tri District, and fruit gardens throughout the province during the trip. 

As a highlight of the trip, tourists had the chance to take a boat ride to watch the sunset on the Ham Luong River and taste rustic delicacies of the Mekong Delta region in Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary, Ba Tri District.

Vo Thanh Son, deputy director of the Promotion Center under the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Ben Tre Province, said that many establishments have signed up for tourism activities and the center is inspecting them to ensure safe operations.

So far, 50 out of 150 tourist attractions in the province have been allowed to serve visitors.

The tourism industry in the province will welcome visitors from across Vietnam under a closed model of organized tours in order to create a database for safe epidemic prevention tracking, Son said. 

On November 12, Can Tho City unveiled a plan to revive and promote its tourism from now until 2022, according to the municipal People’s Committee.

The city will review and create a list of unvaccinated tourism industry employees in order to include them in an inoculation drive, as well as policies to support businesses and workers, according to the plan.

Can Tho authorities will also hold virtual events like Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Day 2021 and Can Tho Tourism Festival to train and upskill the tourism workforce. 

In addition, the city will launch a pilot travel program for eligible tourists at some tourist attractions in Ninh Kieu, Binh Thuy, Cai Rang, and Phong Dien Districts, with a vision to expand the program citywide.

Under 'new normal' conditions, a way to refer to living safely with COVID-19, Can Tho has planned tourism promotion activities for the coming year, including diversifying its products in line with market trends.

Its goal is to survey and develop a variety of travel products related to sustainable, safe, nature-based, or wellness tourism that are consistent with the city's tourism master plan.

The city will call for investment in developing travel products that meet the market’s changing demands, such as night-time economy service, food tours, agro-tours, eco-tours, and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) tourism.

To execute the plan, the Can Tho People's Committee asked grassroots-level authorities to encourage residents to join in offering tourism services and to be ready to welcome and assist visitors.

Local governments were also asked to work with other units to monitor tourism activities and ensure that COVID-19 safety protocols are followed. 

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