Ca Mau province has advocated innovative and sustainable tourism development solutions. As a result, the hospitality industry has achieved impressive growth. To learn about its tourism prospects, our reporter interviewed Mr. Tran Hieu Hung, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Ca Mau province.
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With Ca Mau's recent development, how has the tourism industry progressed?
Ca Mau has all the factors for sustainable tourism development. The southernmost province of the country has three sides bordered by the sea with a coastline of up to 254 km. Green mangrove forests completely cover the province, with diverse and rich flora, fauna and aquatic life. Two national parks, Mui Ca Mau and U Minh Ha, were recognized as biosphere reserves and Ramsar sites in the world. The province has islands, forests and the sea, so it is considered a place where “the land that expands, the forest that moves and the sea that reproduces” with hidden potential for tourism development.
In the past years, facing challenges in general tourism development in the country, along with local tourism characteristics, the tourism sector has continuously researched and proposed consistent solutions and strategies for sustainable development to further advance Ca Mau tourism development. In addition to effectively tapping potential strengths, the province always emphasizes the conservation and promotion of traditional cultural values. Many intangible cultural heritages featured at festivals have been surveyed, identified, gradually restored and preserved. Historical relics have been invested and upgraded, including the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial Site and Provincial Party Committee Base in Xeo Duoc and Lung La Nha The. The plan for restoration and upgrading of certified relics in the province in the 2021 - 2025 period has been executed. Since the beginning of the current administration term, 15 relics have been restored and embellished and six relics are being given a facelift. Sports have also brought in many high achievements, with more than 400 medals of all kinds in total won from 2021 to 2023. Every year, based on their achievements, 5-10 athletes are awarded the Grandmaster titles, and 10-15 athletes are awarded the first-class titles.
Ca Mau Cape is often referred to as "the South Pole of Vietnam"
What values is the province pursuing to meet regional and national tourism strategies and global green growth goals?
Developing green tourism is really necessary. This should also be a long-term approach for Vietnam's tourism amid environmental volatility. Ca Mau is also striving to closely follow this goal. Accordingly, the province will gradually build tourism development scenarios and warnings amid climate change. Whereas, it is necessary to forecast main impact trends, figure out response opportunities to lay the groundwork for determining the approach to sustainable development; build a policy system, create a favorable legal corridor for tourism product development and tourism investment attraction.
Ca Mau reforms and raises awareness of authorities at all levels, businesses and people about sustainable tourism development and highly competitive product development. The province focuses on human resources by training and fostering tourism management skills for local tourism managers, attending domestic and international conferences and seminars on tourism development, especially sustainable tourism development. In addition, the province researches and builds general environmental protection regulations for tourist sites and destinations; pilots environmentally sustainable tourism facilities to reduce emissions and save energy; and develops strategies to enhance the capacity to create environmentally friendly, competitive tourism products and services in the domestic market. All work is coupled with environmental protection and green, clean, friendly and safe tourism.
The Ca Mau crab sculpture - an iconic landmark in Ca Mau province
What are the key goals for the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to achieve the Ca Mau Provincial Party Congress resolution?
In 2025, the province strives to welcome about 2.7 million visitors (including 44,000 international visitors) and total revenue of VND7,360 billion. Ca Mau province has restored 16 ranked relics, and four intangible cultural heritages included into the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritages. 35% of people do regular physical exercise and 30% of families do sport. The province is determined to develop nature-based tourism, engage the community in hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and combine tourism development with new rural construction.
To date, tourism development policies have opened up many investment opportunities in tourism and created momentum to foster local sustainable socioeconomic development in the present and the future. In the Project for Improving the Investment and Business Environment and Enhancing Competitiveness for the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030, Ca Mau aims to make the business environment more favorable, transparent and equal; rapidly increase new enterprises; and reduce input costs and informal costs. Of course, in those development opportunities, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism also defines an equally important task of building community ecotourism - this promises to become an outstanding tourism product and catch the fancy of tourists, especially the international tourist market, if all levels and branches of authority, investors and the community take part.
Accordingly, the culture, sports and tourism sector will research and organize new events such as adventure sports and marathon races through the forests at Mui Ca Mau National Park and U Minh Ha National Park. At the same time, the sector will orient tourist sites to organize experiential services like rice-shrimp farming, crab fishing and aquaculture; restore and develop traditional craft villages and cottage industries; establish amateur music and traditional art companies; organize folk games to serve tourists; and especially raise public awareness of promoting the image and beauty of the province.
Thank you so much!
By Tri Dung, Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
