(VOVWORLD) - Can Tho City, the capital of the Mekong Delta, intrigues tourists with its vibrant culture and food scene. The Can Tho tourism sector is tapping its local advantages to use new models for a strong post-pandemic reboot.
Can Tho Farm, which pursues clean agriculture, has started to grow seedlings of a variety of new fruits. Operator Nguyen Van Phong elaborates on two scenarios. When the farm is allowed to reopen, the new orchards will offer tourists opportunities to take photos, pick fruit, and try their produce onsite. If the farm remains closed, the experimental zone will sell seedlings to farmers and consult them online on production models.
Phong said, “We are doing an experiment at Can Tho Farm. We are studying new varieties. This time around the pandemic, we have grown various types of grape which are only available in foreign countries. We are upgrading our infrastructure and diversifying our products in this new approach.”
 Operator Nguyen Van Phong of Can Tho Farm checks his grape orchard. |
In Hieu’s Cottage, a tourism site in Phong Dien district, new mini scenes have been built. According to manager Nguyen Van Nhung, Hieu’s Cottage is building second-to-none attractions in Can Tho, including the 200-square-meter Yoga Sky, suspended 15 meters in the air. Visitors can sip a cup of coffee and watch others do yoga poses or do yoga themselves with a coach. Hieu’s Cottage is also planning to have a mini golf course, spanning 3,000 square meters, and a vegetable and medicinal herb garden. People can visit the traditional market, view Vovinam martial art performances, attend art workshops, and enjoy demonstrations of ethnic culture in the Mekong Delta, all at Hieu’s Cottage.
Manager Nhung said, “Hieu’s Cottage will have a new look. We have invited artists to draw murals to depict the southern music, smithies, the floating market, and the market in the early morning, which are typical scenes of the Mekong Delta countryside in the early 20th century.”
 A mural at Hieu's Cottage depicts life the Mekong Delta countryside in the early 20th century. |
Eco-tourism and community tourism, which are no strangers to Can Tho City, have started new models in addition to the well-known orchards of tropical fruits. Tan Loc islet shot into popularity by hamlets whose specialties are fish and fish sauce. Meanwhile, Son Islet gets visitors hooked on its special food and tours exploring life then and now.
Artisan Le Thi Be Bay, a Son islet resident, told VOV, “The tour ‘Son Islet of the past’ brings in the spiritual and cultural values of this place. Visitors on the tour ‘Son islet of the new day’ will be thrilled to learn about our life today, which, I believe, will leave them with a great impression. We, the same people on the same land, are trying to diversify our tourism products to make this place compelling to Vietnamese and foreign visitors.”
The Can Tho municipal Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has virtually participated in the Busan International Travel Fair 2021, showcasing publications of Can Tho’s popular tourist attractions, including Cai Rang and Phong Dien Floating Market, Ninh Kieu Harbor, and Binh Thuy Ancient House.
Nguyen Minh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Can Tho municipal Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said, “Businesses and labor force in the tourism sector have high demand for vaccination. The Department has proposed that they be given priority for COVID-19 shots to safely operate again.”
The hospitality industry in Can Tho City expects to get a boost for its rebound in the new normal.