Promoting green and sustainable tourism

Vinh Long province is located between the Tien and Hau rivers, with a mild climate all year round and fruit-laden orchards, creating a highlight for the typical tourism model of the Mekong Delta. The tourism industry has been exploiting the potential and strengths of riverside garden tourism towards green and sustainable tourism.

Hang Pagoda, Chau Thanh Commune, Vinh Long Province has an ancient forest with diverse ecosystems that attracts many tourists. (Photo: THUY NGUYEN)

According to the report of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vinh Long province, the whole province currently has 112 tourist destinations with 25 typical tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta region, 13 provincial-level tourist destinations and 43 tourist businesses meeting standards to serve customers...

In the 2021-2025 period, Vinh Long province's tourism industry has made an impressive recovery, attracting nearly 28.3 million visitors, including 2.7 million international visitors, with estimated revenue of more than VND 23,600 billion.

Go in the green

Coming to Vinh Long, visitors will be immersed in the green color of fruit orchards, cool coconut gardens or flower gardens, ornamental plants famous throughout the country. In An Binh island commune, visitors will enjoy fruit specialties, see coconut houses, green gardens, and relax at unique homestays.

From the central passenger port of Vinh Long province, visitors are taken by boat along the tree-lined canals, watching the water hyacinths floating on the alluvial water, the water has deposited sandbanks with fruit-laden orchards.

After more than 40 years of formation and development, Vinh Long tourism in general and the special type of Vinh Long homestay tourism in particular have gradually affirmed their position in the service economic structure of the province and the tourism map of the whole country.

Secretary of the An Binh Commune Party Committee Ho Van Kien said: “We are reviewing and improving the quality of tourist attractions in the area to serve tourists better and better. This is one of the important breakthroughs that the locality has included in the Resolution at the recent congress. In the future, tourism will become a key economic sector of the locality thanks to the unique strengths of the river area and fruit gardens.”

We are reviewing and improving the quality of tourist attractions in the area to serve visitors better and better. This is one of the important breakthroughs that the locality has included in the Resolution at the recent congress.

Secretary of An Binh Commune Party Committee Ho Van Kien

After nearly 10 years working in the tourism industry, Mr. Quach Duy Thinh, a resident of Tan Hao commune, decided to open Homestay Maison du Bays de Ben Tre right in the house where he and his grandmother were living. At that time, Thinh redesigned the house into many rooms for guests to stay, with a countryside view, dining area, etc. In which, his grandmother, local aunts and uncles are the ones who cook rustic dishes and make traditional cakes for tourists to experience.

Homestay Maison du Bays de Ben Tre organizes eco-friendly tours for visitors to experience the coconut garden and the countryside river such as: cycling in the garden, visiting the cocoa garden, rowing a boat, visiting the coconut garden... Most of the tourists coming to Homestay Maison du Bays de Ben Tre are Europeans, of which 90% are from France. In addition, on weekends, domestic visitors also come here to stay and participate in the experience.

"Currently, my homestay creates jobs for 10 to 20 local workers and connects with four households working in tourism. From there, it creates a livelihood for people to provide tourism services right in their hometown," Mr. Thinh shared.

In recent times, Vinh Long province has attracted tourists thanks to its unique cultural exchange of Kinh, Khmer, and Chinese and its amazing natural landscapes. Among them, Ao Ba Om (Nguyet Hoa ward) is a famous scenic spot with charming beauty, associated with fascinating legendary stories, a vivid symbol of the harmony between nature and culture.

In the Ao Ba Om area, hundreds of years old oil trees with giant, winding roots emerge from the ground to form unique shapes. Each ancient tree is like a natural sculpture, stimulating the imagination of visitors.

In 1994, Ao Ba Om was ranked as a national historical and cultural relic by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, a type of scenic relic. This is also a primeval forest that has been proposed by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to be included in the national biodiversity conservation plan for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

Developing diverse types of green tourism

It is expected that in 2025, Vinh Long province's tourism industry will welcome more than 9.2 million visitors, with total revenue of more than VND 7,700 billion. In the period of 2026-2030, Vinh Long aims to welcome an average increase of 10% per year in the number of visitors and an average increase of 30% per year in revenue. The province strives to have a total of more than 10 million visitors in 2026, including more than 1.4 million international visitors, with revenue reaching VND 9,088 billion.

Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vinh Long province, Lam Huu Phuc, said: “After the merger, Vinh Long province has a natural area of ​​more than 6,200km2, a population of nearly 4.2 million people, has greater economic potential, and can easily attract tourists and investors. Vinh Long also aims to promote priority projects calling for tourism investment that have been granted a memorandum of understanding by the Provincial People's Committee, striving to attract key projects such as: Con Cai Ga-Cho Lach Resort, Cultural Tourism Village Coordination Center - Rest Stop (Cho Lach), Khmer Cultural - Tourism Village and Ao Ba Om Cultural - Tourism Resort,...”.

In the period 2026-2030, Vinh Long aims to welcome an average increase of 10%/year in the number of visitors and an average increase of 30%/year in revenue. The province strives to have a total of more than 10 million visitors to the locality in 2026, including more than 1.4 million international visitors, with revenue reaching VND9,088 billion.

Vinh Long province is increasing the application of digital technology, green and clean technology in tourism business; developing smart tourism; promoting, advertising, branding and managing tourism resources. At the same time, aiming to develop a smart tourism ecosystem; applying digital technology to connect to support and enhance the experience for tourists.

The province encourages investors and businesses to be responsible in the direction of green and sustainability, creating green products and services such as: eco-tourism, agricultural eco-tourism, community tourism, discovery tourism, experiencing natural heritage values, culture, resort and health care...

BA DUNG - HOANG TRUNG - MINH KHOI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/thuc-day-du-lich-xanh-va-ben-vung-post904979.html