BẠC LIÊU  The Mekong Delta province of Bạc Liêu is focusing on strengthening connections and promoting tourism highlights to visitors.

Total tourism revenue in Bạc Liêu has, so far this year, reached VNĐ3.4 trillion (US$137.6 million), an increase of 9.1 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The number of tourists was around 4.1 million, up 14.2 per cent year-on-year.

This is an important foundation for Bạc Liêu to strive for 4.9 million visitors and revenue of VNĐ4.1 trillion in 2024.

According to Lý Vỹ Triều Dương, deputy director of the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Bạc Liêu, to attract tourists, the province has developed and promoted various unique tourism products to enhance its brand image and competitiveness.

These include cultural tourism products that utilise local cultural values, such as the Southern Vietnamese traditional music genre Đờn ca tài tử.

Bạc Liêu is actively participating in the tourism cooperation and development programme of the Western Mekong Delta tourism cluster and the tourism linkage programme between HCM City and the provinces and cities of the delta.

Dương said that the sector will continue to innovate its methods and content, strengthening the promotion of Bạc Liêu tourism through media channels.

Tourism promotion will be enhanced in Hà Nội, HCM City, other key domestic tourism markets, and in countries like the United States, Japan and South Korea.

The province is particularly focused on strategic, targeted partnerships, especially fostering three-way connections between tourism service providers, management agencies, and tourist sites to better understand the tourism market and meet visitors' needs.

Bạc Liêu currently has 11 notable tourist attractions, including popular sites like the Hồ Nam Ecotourism Area, Hùng Vương Square in Ward 1, the Bạc Liêu Playboy's Mansion and the Sài Gòn Bạc Liêu Hotel in Ward 3, among others.

In addition to exploiting the values of cultural and religious tourism, Bạc Liêu leverages its natural conditions, particularly coastal forest resources, to develop green and eco-tourism.

Many recreational sites under the forest canopy are being developed through eco-tourism and resort models, providing visitors with fascinating experiences.

Some of the most visited eco-tourism sites include Shrimp House Garden, Healthy Shrimp Farm, Hoà Bình 1 Wind Power Plant, and Lập Điền Bird Garden, which have been initially successful in offering experiential eco-tourism.  VNS