The current 4,000 workers are not enough to serve the 10 million plus visitors that travel to the region every year, agreed participants to a seminar held in Can Tho City last April to discuss ways to promote tourism in the Mekong Delta region.

Mr. Tran Dat Duy, Deputy Chairman of Mekong Delta Tourism Association attributed the modest figures to the limited number of tourism products and the quality of workforce.

Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, even said the region’s tour guides are not equipped with necessary knowledge and skills, especially foreign language and computer ones.

In addition, cooperation among tourism training establishments is not efficient and not many students choose to work in the tourism sector after graduating from these establishments, he added.

Regarding development orientations, Mekong Delta will enhance its tourism development in four key groups up until 2020, focusing on promoting all localities’ strengths in diverse tourism products such as beach resorts, festivals, ecotourism and cultural tourism.

The region comprises of 12 provinces and 1 city (An Giang, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Can Tho City, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Long An, Soc Trang, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh and Vinh Long) with a large portion of 40,000 square kilometers and the population of 18 million.

Mekong Delta is very potential in tourism; it is original and different form all other regions of the country. At there, the typical ecological landscape is delta, islands and beaches, a charming and attractive region of waterways.

It also has fruits in the four seasons and fresh environment, plentiful resources combined with quintessence of culture, history of local residents. Mekong Delta also has many folk festivals which show kindness, hospitality and tolerance of Southern people.

Source: VGP

The racecourse has a length of 400m, divided into four tracks and the dog “athletes” will have to pass 12 forms of terrain.

In this game, after the dog manager gives the starting command, athletes will pass the first terrain – grass and trees to enter the speedy long track of nearly 100m. The next journey of dogs is to climb trees, go through the foot bridge, crawl on tunnel, swim through the lake, cross the terrain with many obstacles and run to the finish.

Visitors to the Thanh Nga dog farm and dog racecourse will learn about the wildlife of Phu Quoc dogs because the whole complex terrain in the racecourse are the natural living scenery associated with the basic instinct of Phu Quoc ridgebacks.

“To avoid betting, we will not number dogs. The racing dogs will be similar in terms of colors and conditions,” Tuan said.

The dog racecourse on Phu Quoc Island will open from April 20. Package price for ticket to visit the dog farm and to see dogs going hunting and dog racing is VND40,000 ($2) per visitor. The fares for visiting the dog farm and to see Phu Quoc dogs going hunting is VND20,000/person.

The figures were issued at a meeting of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association held to review its activities in 2012.

Participants discussed cooperation plans to organise a programme on fostering tourism in the Japanese market, scheduled to take place from August 21-25, an exchange programme of tourism students from the Greater Mekong Sub-region and a sellers’ seminar to implement the joint statement of the first meeting of Mekong Sub-regional tourism cities’ mayors.

They also proposed new contents to prepare for the second meeting of Mekong Sub-regional tourism cities’ mayors, which is scheduled to take place in HCM City from September 11-12.

Speaking at the meeting, Nguyen Thanh Rum, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the city’s tourism sector attaches much importance to the connectivity between regional tourism cities, with the aim to create a cooperation and development environment to increase the attractiveness of tourism products.

Tourism, the city’s key industry, is applying many policies and measures on promoting and diversifying products, boosting human resource training and strengthening cooperation and connectivity to develop the green industry in and outside the country.

Chau Doc, an ideal place helps you to escape from bustling and hustling city. Decorated by tottery colorful lively houses on bamboo pole, assembly tropical birds build their net on high mountain, which make greatly contribution on protecting inhabitants against huge waterfall pouring to Mekong delta from lengend Himalya mountain. Such diversified land converges quintessence, culture, living and working style of Kinh, Khmer and Cham ethnic groups.

Located near banks imposingly converging Bassac and Mekong, hotel 4* Victoria Chau Doc is well – known as an ideal destination. In which, you are laid- back to enjoy emerald water in the swimming pool or watch far- away fishing boats and unique living styles of habitants on Mekong delta.

Undeniably, Mekong tours will give you unique experience on surrounding landscape or natural sounds with family and friends by your own style. As such, Victoria Chau Doc offers a half day or full-day tour to Sam Mountain, Tay An pagofa or Cham ethnic village and Tra Su Cajuput forest to.

Depending on each customer’s taste, across Vietnam journey or across border to Cambodia tours by speedboat will be customized and tailor made to give you unforgettable experience about Mekong delta‘s beauty. Evenly, the most fastidious gourmets will satisfy with Vietnamese or Western cuisine or outdour BBQ party, well – prepared by master chef at Bassac restaurant.

With gourmets who prefer light cuisine or slowly enjoy drink  while watching Mekong delta, should choose Tan Chau Salon Ba, offering local drink and cuisine in open air areas. Victoria Chau Doc also features unique spa treatments such as: Massage, spa and body treatment for customers who are back from a long journey or who would like to reduce tiredness after train, bike or bus routine.

In addition to, fully- equipped conference centre in Victoria Chau Doc are ready to warmly welcome customers. With capacity of more than 60 customers, this conference is suitable for seminar, conference, meetings or gala dinner.

Located in Chau Doc in Saigon, bordered with Phnom Penh, surrounded by peaceful landscape of Mekong delta, dotted with Sam mountain and Tra Su cajuput mountains, Victoria Chau Doc is known as a heaven for tourism, conference and convention for both Vietnamese and Western customers.

Ninh Kieu pier is mostly visited by customers on their arrival in Can Tho city, cross Hau and Can Tho river near the city centre. Decorated by magnificent landscape, Ninh Kieu comes naturally into poems. Coming Ninh Kieu in the Spring, customers will have an opportunity to enjoy precious ornamental tree and flowers from Cai Khe to ancient markets. The banks along the river are busy with boats or canals carrying local speciality of Cuu Long river.

Floating market on river is said to be the cultural feature of Southern in generally and Can Tho in particularly. Customers will enjoy Cai Rang floating and Phung Hiep busy market with full of sellers – buyers, all kinds of tropical fruits, vegetables, flowers and local speciality especially on the occasion of Lunar New Year (Tet holiday). In those special days, floating market is seen as bunches of giant colorful flowers in sunny Spring afternoon on Can Tho river.

Morning, customer can watch hundred of small boats gathering as the floating market on river. An easy way to recognize seller depends on which are hanged on the boat. Selling product will be hanged on the top of boat, so called “items pole” so the buyers just see the “items pole” to know which products sellers offer. Different from local market on land in Vietnam, in floating markets in Can Tho, sellers do not need to make voice for advertisement about their items. Just sitting on motor boat to enter floating market in Tet holidays, seeing “items pole” then you can choose exactly what you would like to buy. Apart from buying fresh tropical fruits from floating markets, customers will have a chance to chat with locals to know more about their culture and living style.

Tropical gardens

Coming Can Tho in the Spring, customers find hard to skip tropical gardens along the river. Walking or wandering or enjoying tropical fresh fruits will be unique features in those gardens. Customer can overnight at lovely homestay or wooden houses. Or visitng Bang Lang stork garden or nine destinations which are recognized as cultural historical sites such as: Pagoda, Temples, Can Tho ancient floating market, Binh Thuy ancient house etc.. or Exploring craft villages and unique feature of living and culture of three ethnic groups : Vietnam – China – Khmer and Southern music shows by artists.

We were in Cai Be floating market from 4a.m in October. There were already lots of boats gathering to sell and to buy. Even there were some boats coming in the previous afternoon cause they were from far.

According to the elderly, the floating market is organized from 2a.m to 8a.m with about 400 to 500 boats with full of fruits anchoring along two banks to wait for the traders. There are plenty of products from the agriculture products to household goods. They will be delivered to the markets in mainland or resell to the smaller boats to deliver to the smaller areas in the whole Mekong delta. Most of these traders have strong attachment to their mobile home, and Cai Be floating market is somehow inseparable to their lives.

Mr. Tran Van Trung, 60, working in Mo Cay market (Ben Tre province) said that he and his son came to Cai Be floating market once every two days to buy cabbage, turnip, carrot, cassava and carried on a boat of 4-ton-tonnage to Mo Cay market and resell to the owners of the barn. After each of that times, he can earn VND 300,000 (around $14). According to the traders, they often buy products here because of the low prices and variety. Moreover, it is very convenient for them to travel to and from and transporting products. The market is not even essential in helping the traders buy the cheap and fresh products, but also helps the farms sell at good price.

Every morning, Ms. Nguyen Thi Be in Cai Lay township, Tien Giang province carrys Chinese orange, jackfruit, orange and pomelo to sell in the Cai Be floating market because she supposed that the traders who often come and buy directly at her house offer lower price. Like many other farms, she also have boat and carry products to the market to sell. She sells averagely 1 ton per day, and she can earn VND 200,000 more compared with selling directly at the farm.

Cai Be floating market also helps people selling drinks and beverage, phở, lunch. Ms. Tran Thi Cuc (58), lives in Cai Be township, has more than 30 years in the field. She originally came from Ben Tre province but she followed her husband to this township. They used to work for other people in load and unload products, but they realized the potential in this market. They built a small boat and sell the coffee, soya, etc from 4-8 a.m everyday. She can earn more than $10. From this job, she could feed and raise eight children to their adult time.

The Cai Be floating market holds the beauty of rural area, deeply carries the farm character, but it is also romantic. Therefore, the department of Commerce and Tourism of Tien Giang also put this into the tour routes of the province. There are hundreds of visitors come every day.

The festival will celebrate the long tradition of southern folk cakes that dates back thousands of years. The most famous of these include Banh tet (cylindrical glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and pork fat), Banh u (small pyramidal glutinous rice cake) and Banh tet la cam (violet cylindrical glutinous rice cake), the last one being a Can Tho specialty.

Other traditional cakes eaten daily as well as on major holidays include Banh xeo (pancake), Banh bo dua (coconut-flavoured sponge cake).

The festival will be a very good opportunity for businesses and makers of traditional foods to promote their brands, organisers said.

Around 20 firms, traditional cake makers in the city and the Mekong Delta will show off 70 different kinds of cakes prepared by skilled chefs.

Through the local specialties, the event also aims at promoting agricultural products of the Mekong Delta provinces.

Apart from sampling the different cakes, visitors can join in some folk games and contests such as wrapping the cylindrical glutinous rice cake, pouring pancakes and trimming vegetables.

The cake fest will also have an exhibition area, photo galleries, a performance area, arts and crafts.

The city hopes to make the festival an annual cultural and tourism promotion event where residents and visitors can have fun and entertain themselves while welcoming spring and enjoying the traditional culture of the South.

The way the houses were designed in Dong Hoa Hiep Village is different from that of those, which were in close proximity to each other in Duong Lam and Phuoc Tich Villages.

Dong Hoa Hiep has a poetic landscape with ancient houses dotted in lush orchards that are surrounded by the winding Cai Be River. Visiting the village, tourists enjoy pure air and the peaceful scenery while rowing boats on the river or taking a stroll on paths running through shady orchards.

One of the destinations that has left a vivid impression on tourists to Dong Hoa Hiep Village is the ancient house owned by Tran Tuan Kiet in Dong Hoa Hiep Commune.

It was built around 1838 with 108 pillars made of xylia xylocarpa, a valuable and rare wood, amid a 1.8ha orchard.

The house was designed in the architectural style of southern garden houses with five large rooms, covering 1,000m2. Despite the devastation of time, the house has been preserved intact with refined patterns of “pine trees, daisy flowers, ivory bamboo and apricot trees” carved on wooden pillars and doors. Inside, the house now displays sets of parallels inlaid with mother-of-pearl, skillfully carved furniture and ancient ceramics.

Le Thi Chinh, the owner’s wife, said her husband’s great-grandfather was the chief of the district who was so keen on antiquities that he invited craftsmen from the imperial capital of Hue to build the house over a few years and spent a lot of time and efforts collecting many valuable ancient objects.

In 2002, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) financed more than 1.8 billion VND to restore the house with the supervision of a female Japanese architect who lived in the house for over six months. Thanks to JICA’s support, the house was restored in the original architectural and interior style.

The second popular destination in Dong Hoa Hiep Village is Nguyen Van Duc’s house which was built in 1850 with a blend of Oriental and Western architecture.

The front of the house was constructed in the French style with round Western pillars and romantic domes whereas the inside was designed in traditional Vietnamese style. At present, the house still preserves many rare ancient objects that demonstrate the well-off life and refined hobby of rich families in southern Vietnam in the past.

Nowadays, Dong Hoa Hiep Village is a popular destination of both domestic and foreign visitors. Each year, the village attracts almost 100,000 visitors with an increasing number of foreign tourists.