HCM CITY — Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces plan to focus on community-based tourism projects in 2023 to boost tourism development and lure more visitors.

Đồng Tháp Province will continue to focus on agricultural and community-based tourism to promote tourism and boost local incomes.

Huỳnh Minh Tuấn, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said, “agricultural and community-based tourism is the strength of Đồng Tháp’s tourism sector. Therefore, the province will continue to boost this kind of tourism, and promote the potential and advantages of craft villages as well.”

The province now has more than 80 agricultural and community-based tourism areas, such as Trần Bá Chuốt tourism area in Lai Vung District, Happy Land flower garden in Sa Đéc City, and Cây Xoài Nhà Tôi (My Mango) orchard in Cao Lãnh District, to enjoy and take home with local specialties, agricultural products and fresh fruit.

Tourists can also visit the Ecolotus Co-operative in Cao Lãnh District to learn more about various products made from lotus, such as food, accessories, decorative items and even furniture.

Tuấn said the province would build a database and digital map of tourist attractions and information about its culture and cuisine in the near future to help domestic and international tourists easily discover Đồng Tháp, also known as the land of lotus.

Meanwhile, Vĩnh Long Province is calling on investment in new community-based tourism areas in Giồng, Chim and An Bình islets in Vĩnh Long City.

The province will preserve and promote the contemporary heritage site Mang Thít, one of the most famous and largest brick and ceramic villages in the Mekong Delta.

The village has more than 1,000 traditional brick kilns dating back over 100 years.

Vĩnh Long will also develop more agricultural tourism products and build a museum on agriculture in the Mekong Delta to attract more visitors.

Nguyễn Thị Quyên Thanh, vice chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee, said, “Vĩnh Long has potential and advantages in developing community-based tourism. And tourism will be the province’s key economic sector in 2023.”

She added that the People’s Committee asked the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to focus on the strengths of each locality to create strong tourism development for the province this year.

Vĩnh Long targets to welcome more than 800,000 visitors in 2023, including 8,000 international visitors, and have total tourism revenue of VNĐ400 billion (US$17 million).  — VNS.