HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City and 13 provinces and city in the MekongDelta region are stepping up efforts to boost cooperation and diversifyinter-regional travel packages to attract tourists.

Thetourism authorities plan to discuss ways to enhance tourism linkages andresolve the problems facing tourism management at the first HCM City-MekongDelta Tourism Connection Forum to be held in the city from September 4-5, said BuiTa Hoang Vu, Director of the HCM City Department of Tourism.

Travelfirms would get access to newly developed tourism models and products in theMekong Delta to develop attractive itineraries and offer diverse experiences tovisitors, Vu told a press conference to introduce the forum this week.

TheMekong Delta has for long attracted tourist inflows through HCM City, theinternational gateway to the region. Also, the city hopes to get moretourists from the delta, he said.

Nguyen DongHoa, Deputy General Director of Saigontourist, said destinations in the deltaare becoming increasingly popular among foreign and domestic tourists butefforts to diversify tourism products and services are needed to realise itspotential, said.

Around 70percent of foreign tourists visiting HCM City choose to make a trip to thedelta, he said.

Buttourism products in the various localities in the delta are not diverse, hesaid.

Tran DoanThe Duy, Deputy General Director of Vietravel, said all travel operators offertours to the Mekong Delta.

Touristsvisit several places in the delta but the lack of regional co-ordination indeveloping new tourism products and poor transport infrastructure result inunexciting travel packages, he said.

Cao XuanThu Van, Director of the Bac Lieu Province Department of Culture, Sports andTourism, said the forum would be a platform for delta localitiesto establish marketing and promotion links and develop regionaltour packages.

Eachlocality needs to develop its own unique tourism products, she said.

Theforum, to be held at the Saigon Exhibition Convention Centre, will also featurea conference on investment in the culture, sports and tourism infrastructure inHCM City and the delta, a photo exhibition on tourist destinations and tourismproducts, and a conference on tourism co-operation between the two places.-VNA