Soc Trang diversifies tourism models to attract tourists

Soc Trang tourism sector is to continue to improve the quality of existing tourism products and gradually put into operation products and new tourism programmes associated with the strengths of the province such as cultural festival tourism, ecological tourism and shopping tourism to attract more and more domestic and foreign tourists.

In the first five months of 2012, the total number of visitors to Soc Trang was 50,749, reaching 46 percent against the yearly plan, an increase of 14.3 percent over the same period. International arrivals were 3,429, reaching 40 percent of the yearly plan, an increase of 28 percent compared to the same period in 2011. And domestic tourists were 47,320, an increase of 13 percent compared to the same period in 2011. The tourism revenue was VND48,253 billion, reaching 38 percent of the yearly plan, an increase of 47 percent over the first 5 months of 2011.

Being the province located at the end of Mekong River Basin, adjacent to the provinces of Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu and the East Sea with the similar features as other provinces in the Mekong Delta region, Soc Trang has its own advantages favourable for tourism development. This is characterised by the convergence of the three ethnic cultures including Viet - Chinese - Khmer with diverse and unique features. Soc Trang is the land of festivals and spiritual cultural tourism with hundreds of pagodas. Especially, there are many famous pagodas visited by domestic and foreign visitors such as Doi Pagoda, Chen Kieu Pagoda, Dat Set Pagoda and Kh'Leang Pagoda.

To be able to take full advantage of the potential and turn the province into one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta, Soc Trang Provincial People's Committee has approved the adjustment of the planning of provincial tourism development to 2015 and vision to 2020. According to Mr Nguyen Tanh, Director of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Soc Trang province, in order to realize this plan, the province is putting special focus on investment in infrastructure and human resources.

Currently, Soc Trang has 35 operating hotels including one 3-star hotel, seven 2-star hotels, eleven 1-star hotels, eight standard hotels and eight new yet-to be-evaluated hotels. All the hotels have a total of 1,000 rooms, capable of receiving 1,500 to 2,000 tourists. For dining facilities, the province has six restaurants located within hotels, and two restaurants at tourist sites. In addition to dining facilities for business purpose other than tourism services, there are over 400 restaurants and canteens with capacity of over 27,000 seats. All the transport system, electricity, water and telecommunications are in good operation giving favourable conditions to the tourists.” In general, the province's infrastructure and infrastructure for tourism development has been in good condition in recent years and the number of visitors to Soc Trang is on the rise" said Mr Tanh.

To meet the increasing demand of tourists, every year, Soc Trang organizes training courses on professional skills for the tourism sector. With the size of 25-30 students per class, the industry also takes students to visit and learn from the experiences in other provinces, sends officials to attend conferences and trade fairs at home and abroad, or attend professional management and expertise training held by the central agencies to improve management skill and professional qualifications to serve tourism development in the province.

Sharing on the target in 2012, Mr Tanh revealed that Soc Trang province aims to welcome over one million visitors this year. Revenue is estimated at VND126,4 billion. To attract more tourists, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has directed its agencies to strengthen the tourism marketing and promotion, and has released thousands of documents, newsletters, leaflets, tourist maps, VCDs introducing the local tourist destinations. Besides, attention is paid to linking hotels and restaurants in the introduction and marketing for Soc Trang tourism products in the fairs and festivals in and outside the province.

In addition, to attract the investment in tourism, the Department of Culture has published information on two projects calling for investment, namely floating resort tourist site No.2 Song Phung (Long Phu), and Ho Be (Vinh Chau).

To achieve the target of tourist volume, Soc Trang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism continues to improve the quality of products and services in the province through the selection and appreciation of the top services provided to domestic and foreign tourists. Simultaneously, it is essential to maintain and improve the quality of existing tourism products and gradually put into operation the new tourism program focusing on the province's strengths of cultural festival tourism, ecological tourism, and shopping tourism to attract more and more domestic and foreign tourists to Soc Trang.

Source: VCCI

Debate on restoring Mekong Delta Floating Markets

Floating markets on rivers in the Mekong Delta have existed for hundreds of years and are not merely a place for buying and selling of farm produce but have over time become quintessentially a cultural and economic traditional heritage of people in South Vietnam.

Nga Bay Floating Market, also known as Phung Hiep floating market, is the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta. It is called ‘floating market’ because of its mobility on the river.

On a vast and boundless water surface, hundreds of boats, big and small, gather together and create a floating arena for trade activities. The market is open all day long, but is most spirited early in the morning.

Boats of different sizes and shapes thread their way along the waterway in an atmosphere of vibrant activity, in a fun filled yet businesslike environment, purchasing and bargaining, with sellers and buyers bellowing over noisy boat engines.

At the bow of each boat is attached a bamboo pole and a sample of the goods being sold from the boat are strung over it, making it easy for buyers to find what they need. The poles are also of different sizes, upright or bent which makes for an interesting graphic view and is a really unique form of advertising.

Bay Khanh, an 80-year-old resident in Dai Thanh Commune, recalls with nostalgia the floating market’s old glory. In the old days, around 1,000 boats, even 3,000 during Tet holidays, of all sizes gathered in Nga Bay Floating Market and lit oil lamps at night, which all appeared stunning and colorful, like garlands of flowers. Some amateur farmers sang and played music through the night, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Duong Van Day, former director of Saigon Tourist, is a local man and had discovered the Phung Hiep floating market and exploited it for trips to the Mekong Delta. Many international holidaymakers have remarked that the floating markets in Thailand are not as beautiful as the ones in Vietnam,   although the Thai government spends a lot of money to promote and preserve floating markets for tourism.

However for traffic safety on rivers, the local government had removed the floating market to a location three kilometers further away from the old place. This subsequently and gradually reduced the hustle and bustle of the market as well as its prosperity, as fewer boats and people participated in trade activities on the river and tourists’ became less frequent. The reason could also be because of its inconvenient location with no road access.

The fact that the Nga Bay Floating Market lost its glory caused pressure on the local government and they began to call for ideas to restore it via their website.

Currently, there is an ongoing and heated debate among the public, experts, economists and travel agencies on the benefits of restoring it. According to Vo Thi Thang, former chairperson of Vietnam National Tourism, the province should restore the market and if necessary, her department will give financial support. Huynh Phong Tranh, former chairman of the People’s Committee of Hau Giang Province and current government general inspector, believes that restoring the floating market to its old location will require VND50 billion (US$2,4 million).

In mid June the Party Congress in Nga Bay Town discussed the restoring of the floating market, and developing it for tourism. In July, a seminar organized by the Information Center for the Promotion of Hau Giang Tourism, held a debate between experts, university lecturers and travel agencies. 

Concerning the return of the famous floating market’s old glory, participants said the government should also help revive the traditional handicraft villages, as those products can be sold as souvenirs to tourists.  Truong Van Ngon, deputy director of Can Tho Tourist Company is optimistic that the market will return to its lost glory within a period of three years.

The restoring of the well-known floating market is not just an economic matter but also a cultural one for Hau Giang Province in particular and the Mekong Delta in general, bringing back to life its 300-year-old history.

VietNamNet/SGGP

Vietnam the beautiful wonder of Asia

The countrymen call their motherland “The Land of Dragons.” Vietnam is a land of history filled with memory of many told and untold events. The great theme of modern Vietnamese history is the Vietnam’s war of Independence and reunification.

The Vietnam War was proved to be an extremely sobering experience which caused so much suffering for the Vietnamese people. The people of the country have a well-deserved reputation for being hard workers, but they enjoy their leisure as much as anyone else. Today the largely agrarian society of the country is shifting towards a more multi-sector economy. The country has a population of 91.5 million (estimates 2011) with a wealth of dialects spoken in different regions.

 

President Ho Chi Minh’s name comes to mind when we remember the recent history of Vietnam. He is the best-loved and famous political figure in the country. Ho Chi Minh the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party and leader of the revolution carried the torch of Vietnam’s independence movement for over half a century.  As a revolutionist he made great contribution to the victorious Viet Minh that unified the country. Mausoleum Ho Chi Minh a monumental marble edifice at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi was built to show the deep gratitude of the countrymen to their great leader. His remains are displayed inside the chamber of the mausoleum.

Hanoi the capital city, known as “city of lakes” is one destination for which any number of praising words seems inadequate. It is a thriving metropolis with cloud-tickling skyscrapers, numerous specialty shops, │boutiques and colorful markets that unhesitatingly leap into the future.

 

A visit to the country would remain incomplete if one doesn’t drive a 3½-hour journey on road from Hanoi to Halong Bay port. The five hour cruise in a double deck wooden boat on the bluish green waters, one can enjoy the beauty of  the bay. The UNESCO world Heritage site Halong (or "Descending Dragon) Bay is situated amidst a splendid panorama. The bay covers an area of 1500-square-kilometres dotted with a cluster of 1960 lime stone islands.

Hue in the center of the country is studded with many archeological sites. There is no end to the breath-taking sites visitors can see in Hue. Among those sites, feudal capital city with fortresses, temples, mausoleums, pagodas, bridges attract thousands daily. The area also offers the tourist to enjoy the riverside beauty. The Perfume River is famed for breathtaking river cruise in a traditional wooden boat.

Traveling from North to South of Vietnam can be a fantastic experience for a tourist.

Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city in Vietnam and is situated nearly 1,700 kilometers south of Hanoi. After the end of war in 1975 the Saigon city was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in honor of this great Leader. It is a city with a rapid development, where modern buildings are rising besides the 19th century buildings.  An array of giant cranes show the development fever in the city.

Among its highest-esteemed attractions are the Notre Dame Cathedral, Municipal Theater, the Re-unification palace, the Mekong River cruise, the Cu Chi tunnels and the Vietnam War Memorial Museum. The Vietnam War memorial museum is one of the most recognizable places to visit in the city. It is a living testimony to the history of   the Vietnam’s war of independence and re-unification of North and South Vietnam.  It is a place preserving the memories and relics of the Vietnam war.

Vietnam culture possesses several distinctive characteristics that give its own unique style. Today, the mixture of influences is apparent in art, music, dance and literature. Moreover, the fast growing tourism sector is another major pillar in the overall economic field of the country Vietnam is emerging as a strong tourist destination with number of visitors to the country climbing to 6.0 million in 2011.

Traveling to the country can be done in different ways .However the experience that a visitor gains is unforgettable. The country is home to a wide range of domestic and international airports. Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport, Da Nang and Tan Son Nhat Airport of Ho Chi Minh City are the major stop over points for many international airlines. Vietnam has a great deal to offer and is worth visiting.

 

Srimal Fernando

(A journalist and a correspondent based in Colombo, Sri Lanka)