Ho Chi Minh City strengthens regional tourism links

The survey program, held from August 11 to 16, was organized by the municipal Department of Tourism in coordination with participating localities.

It brought together tourism experts, research institutes and universities, as well as 25 leading tour operators from the city.

The delegation visited destinations in Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak, Gia Lai and Quang Ngai.

Tourists seek deeper experiences

Travel companies taking part in the survey said the four provinces possess abundant resources for developing new tourism products, ranging from beaches and highlands to agriculture, traditional crafts and community-based cultural spaces.

With appropriate connections, these resources could be woven into interregional itineraries combining sightseeing with hands-on production experiences, cuisine, culture and shopping for local and OCOP products.

Vo Van Luong, a representative of BenThanh Tourist, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that the survey had given his company a more practical understanding of destinations and their potential for inclusion in tour programs.

“Tourists’ needs are changing,” Luong said.

“Instead of simply sightseeing, enjoying the scenery and sampling food, they increasingly want to learn more deeply about the stories, people and processes behind products at destinations.”

For agricultural sites and craft villages, allowing visitors to take part in a production stage and make products themselves can create greater interaction while helping them understand the value behind those products.

Ma Ngoc Thanh, a representative of Khang Hung Group (Travelmates), said the vineyards in the Ninh Thuan area in Khanh Hoa Province could be developed along these lines.

“If visitors can learn about the cultivation process, understand how difficult it is to nurture a grapevine, and take part from the beginning while being introduced to the plant’s growth cycle, they will develop a greater appreciation for and support Vietnamese products,” Thanh said.

She added that having more destinations would give travel companies greater flexibility when designing tours.

Each vineyard could offer its own distinctive experience, from learning about cultivation and care to visiting, tasting and purchasing grape-based products.

Turning regional cooperation into reality

Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy director of the municipal department, said the survey program was designed to strengthen regional links, develop new products and improve the effectiveness of cooperation between Ho Chi Minh City and localities in these regions.

Having travel companies directly survey and assess routes and destinations while facilitating business-to-business (B2B) connections would help ensure that tourism products better reflect market demand and provide local authorities with a basis for improving services.

To turn this direction into concrete products, destinations should be developed into tours with specific departure schedules, durations and prices, rather than being promoted merely as individual attractions, said Nguyen Huu An, deputy head of the department’s tourism resource planning and development division.

Tour operators could develop themed itineraries focusing on coastal craft villages, harvest seasons or green agriculture.

Selected destinations meeting the necessary conditions could then be piloted and evaluated based on visitor feedback, spending and length of stay before being expanded.

An underlined that long-term regional cooperation also requires a transparent revenue-sharing mechanism among travel companies, cooperatives and local residents.

Such a mechanism would help create an integrated value chain extending from production and visitor experiences to the consumption of local products.