Hanoi (VNA) – Mekong Deltaprovinces are on the right track to lure more holidaymakers and turn tourisminto a spearhead industry after Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved amaster plan to develop tourism in the region by 2020 with a vision to 2030.

Kien Giang is among Vietnam’s toptourist destinations, blessed with many must-see attractions, particularly PhuQuoc Island.

The province welcomed more than 3million visitors in the first half of 2017, bringing in some 2.24 trillion VND(98.6 million USD) in revenue, up 20 percent from the same period last year.The number of visitors included about 201,000 foreigners and 1.5 millionaccommodated travellers, up 22 percent and 6 percent, respectively.

According to Chairman of theprovincial People’s Committee Pham Vu Hong, the increased tourist arrivals weredue to the province’s efforts to improve local infrastructure and facilities attourist spots and beaches and stimulate investment in high-class leisurecentres and hotels.

Kien Giang has also connected tourswith destinations in neighbouring localities and in other countries likeThailand and Cambodia and ramped up tourism promotion activities, he said.

Can Tho received more than 4.5million holidaymakers in the first seven months of this year, a year-on-yearsurge of 36 percent, helping the city earn about 1.3 trillion VND (57.73million USD), up 15 percent. Most of the visitors took tours to Cai Rang FloatingMarket, eco-tours and sightseeing tours on rivers or to local orchards.

The city has made efforts to boosttourism by enhancing the effectiveness of travel operators and community-basedtours, according to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.The city hopes to attract about 5.5 million tourists and earn more than 2trillion VND in revenue this year.

Meanwhile, Dong Thap has strived tocreate its own identity with new signature travel-related products. Theprovince has lured visitors to well-known Tram Chim National Park and to seelotuses in full bloom in Thap Muoi and Hong Ngu districts. They are alsooffered tours to experience cooking of traditional meals at Gao GiongEco-tourism Park and fruit farming in Sa Dec city and Lai Vung and Cao Lanhdistricts.

The province’s revenue from tourismrose by 40 percent year on year in the first half of this year to exceed 300billion VND (13.2 million USD) thanks to about 1.65 million tourist arrivals.

Local tourism is on the right track,Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism NguyenNgoc Thuong said, adding that the province hopes to develop sustainable tourismwith diverse and high-quality products and targets leading the Southwest regionin tourism in the next ten years.-VNA