Cao Lanh, Hoi An jointly promote local tourism
Cao Lanh, Hoi An jointly promote local tourism
Cao Lanh City in Dong Thap Province and Hoi An City in the central province of Quang Nam this year will execute agreements involving tourism, signed by end-2018, Le Thanh Cong, the Cao Lanh City Party chief, told a press briefing held in Cao Lanh on January 5.
The briefing was held to launch “Safe farm produce fair” and “Nga Tu Den Dau Market” (Oil Lamp Intersection Market), with the attendance of Nguyen Su, former Party chief of Hoi An City, who gave practical advice for Dong Thap on ways of developing local tourism effectively, especially community tourism.
Su, who has been following the success of Hoi An tourism, said that Hoi An had achieved considerable success with tourism as the city’s leaders had welcomed all feedback from local residents and selected appropriate opinions that could be applied to developing local tourism.
Su cited some examples of local tourism achievements supported by local residents in Hoi An.
The “Ancient City Night” project, for instance, was realized thanks to feedback from local residents and has attracted many tourists with its local cultural products, said Su. Lanterns, a traditional item in Hoi An, have been shipped to multiple countries or sold on online platforms, helping many sellers become billionaires. Previously, people could only sell lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Also, the Cham river islet has emerged as a tourism destination from its origins as a poor island. Last year alone, local residents here earned VND28 billion by selling tourism-related tickets and offering homestay services, with daily tickets sold limited to 3,000. Notably, no plastic bags are seen anywhere on the island.
The former Party chief of Hoi An predicted that culture-based tourism will see more sustainable success in the long run, adding that local authorities and tourism operators should be patient and outline clear and broad roadmaps for developing local tourism successfully.
As for Cao Lanh City, Su recommended that the city develop tourism concepts based on distinct local features to avoid offering generic tourism products similar to those found in other Mekong Delta provinces that provide water-based and fruit garden services to tourists.
Su referenced the 200-year-old temple dedicated to the worship of Do Cong Tuong in Cao Lanh, noting that Dong Thap could consider developing the temple into a tourist destination, as few people have heard of it to date.
According to Phan Van Thuong, chairman of Cao Lanh City’s government, the city plans to promote connectivity tourism this year. Specifically, tourists to Dong Thap will enjoy a wide selection of tourism products, including cultural and spiritual tourism, traditional handicraft villages, flower villages, safe farm produce fairs and various types of accommodations.
