Tourist attractions nationwide were crowded with domestic and foreign visitors during the April 30 – May 1 holidays.
Over 6,000 travellers both at home and abroad rushed to Dong Van Karst
Plateau Geopark in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang
between 27 April and May 1, generating nearly 5 billion VND (240,000
USD) in revenues for the local tourism sector.
To
bring satisfying experiences to tourists, authorities of Quan Ba, Yen
Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac districts – home to Dong Van Geopark, have
encouraged local people to do their best to impress visitors.
A French tourist said his family and him were fascinated by the
locals’ warmness and hospitality when touring around scenic and relic
sites and enjoying ethnic minorities’ traditional festivals.
This
year, Ha Giang province strives to welcome over 400,000 visitors, up 20
percent from 2012 and earn more than 450 billion VND (23 million USD)
in turnover. In the first four months of this year alone, nearly 200,000
travellers came to Dong Van Geopark.
Dong Van
Geopark was recognised as a member of the Global Network of National
Geoparks on October 3, 2010. It is Vietnam’s first geological park and
the second of its kind in Southeast Asia, after Langkawi Geological
Park in Malaysia.
Untouched for hundreds of
millions of years, the plateau is 80 percent limestone and contains the
fossils of thousands of prehistoric creatures 400-600 million years ago.
The 574 square kilometre plateau is now home to 250,000 people from 17
different ethnic groups.
Other tourist attractions
in the locality include Lung Tam linen weaving village, Khau Vai stone
forest and love market, Lung Cu flag tower, Lo Lo Chai and Mong cultural
tourism villages.
In the south, the Mekong Delta
city of Can Tho was teemed with over 17,000 holiday-makers in April
30 alone, especially in Phong Dien, Con Au and Cai Cui tourist areas.
Le Van Sang, Director of My Khanh eco-tourism company
said his eco-tourism village greeted around 15,000 arrivals from April
28-30. The figure was estimated at 6,000 on May 1.
With over 30 boats in service, tourists had a chance to take cruise
tours to and from My Khanh eco-tourist village, Ninh Kieu wharf and Cai
Rang floating market.
In Kien Giang province, travel and lodging agencies worked at their full capacity as vacationers came in flocks.
Close to 8,000 tourists, including some 4,000 foreigners took their
vacation in Phu Quoc island, dubbed as a “tourism paradise” in the
south-western region.-VNA