The tourism sector of the Mekong Delta may need 208,000 workers by 2020,
including 75,000 direct ones, according to the Institute for Tourism
Development Research’s latest forecast.
Last
year, the region welcomed nearly 20 million visitors, including 1.6
foreign arrivals, netting over 4.3 trillion VND, or just six percent of
the country’s total tourism revenue.
Many industry insiders attributed the modest figures to the limited number of tourism products and the quality of workforce.
The current 4,000 workers in the tourism sector are not nearly enough
to serve the flow of visitors, said participants to a recent seminar in
Can Tho City on tourism in the Mekong Delta region.
Ha
Van Sieu, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research,
said the region’s tour guides are not equipped with necessary knowledge
and skills, especially foreign language and computer ones.
In addition, cooperation among tourism training establishments is not
efficient and not many students choose to work in the tourism sector
after graduating from these establishments, he added.
The region comprises of 12 provinces: An Giang, Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, Ca
Mau, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Long An, Soc Trang, Tien Giang,
Tra Vinh and Vinh Long, and one city – Can Tho, with a total area of
40,000 square kilometers and a population of 18 million.
The delta has rich tourism potential; it is home to a typical plains
ecological landscape with a mysterious and charming system of waterways,
while boasting many islands and beaches. The region is also endowed
with fertile land and tropical weather, which allow trees to bear fruits
in all four seasons. Local people are kind and hospitable, who enjoy a
simple but generous lifestyle.
To boost tourism
development, the Mekong Delta is also advised to exploit all localities’
strengths to build diverse tourism products such as beach resorts,
festivals, ecotourism and cultural tourism.-VNA