HCM City is keen to develop inland waterway tourism into one of its key attractions by 2020.
Last week the People's Committee ordered the Department of Tourism totake measures to foster waterway tourism and relevant agencies tofinalise legal documents for managing private wharves serving tourists.
The city has set itself a target of increasing the number ofwaterway tourists by 20 percent annually and the revenues from suchtourism by 30 percent.
To achieve the target, the city has begunwaterway tours to the Mekong Delta and even Cambodia besidesmedium-range tours to its rural districts of Cu Chi and Can Gio andshort trips along canals with stops in Districts 8, 2, and 9.
They have all received positive feedback from both Vietnamese and foreign tourists, according to city authorities.
Every year around 15,000 foreign tourists do the Cu Chi tour, which ispart of longer tours to the two neighbouring provinces of Binh Duongand Tay Ninh.
This year the city plans to build or upgrade 45wharves for tourist boats, develop 65 tourism sites in districtsconnected by waterways and build three community tourism sites in itsrural districts of Cu Chi, Can Gio, and 9.
The Department ofTourism has also urged the Saigon Boat JSC to speed up purchase of boatsfor tourism on the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canal system, which is expectedto start on Vietnam National Day (September 2).
The departmentsaid the company should invest in 10 boats with oars - but also engines -that should be large enough for traditional music and danceperformances.
The city expects its two canal tours – the otherone being on Tau Hu – Ben Nghe, which is already operational — to takevisitors through old areas of the city with unique architecture,creating a good impression on them.
The Saigon Boat JSC said forthe nine-kilometre Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe tour, it would get 10southern-style boats that are a metre high and with 20 seats. The canalruns through Districts 1, 3, Tan Binh, Phu Nhuan, and Binh Thanh.
The boats will leave from a wharf near Thi Nghe bridge in Binh Thanhdistrict and berth at a wharf near Khmer Pagoda on Hoang Sa street inDistrict 3.
On board, tourists can enjoy flute, dan tranh (16chord zither), and don ca tai tu (Southern amateur traditional music)performances and taste southern specialities.-VNA
Last week the People's Committee ordered the Department of Tourism totake measures to foster waterway tourism and relevant agencies tofinalise legal documents for managing private wharves serving tourists.
The city has set itself a target of increasing the number ofwaterway tourists by 20 percent annually and the revenues from suchtourism by 30 percent.
To achieve the target, the city has begunwaterway tours to the Mekong Delta and even Cambodia besidesmedium-range tours to its rural districts of Cu Chi and Can Gio andshort trips along canals with stops in Districts 8, 2, and 9.
They have all received positive feedback from both Vietnamese and foreign tourists, according to city authorities.
Every year around 15,000 foreign tourists do the Cu Chi tour, which ispart of longer tours to the two neighbouring provinces of Binh Duongand Tay Ninh.
This year the city plans to build or upgrade 45wharves for tourist boats, develop 65 tourism sites in districtsconnected by waterways and build three community tourism sites in itsrural districts of Cu Chi, Can Gio, and 9.
The Department ofTourism has also urged the Saigon Boat JSC to speed up purchase of boatsfor tourism on the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canal system, which is expectedto start on Vietnam National Day (September 2).
The departmentsaid the company should invest in 10 boats with oars - but also engines -that should be large enough for traditional music and danceperformances.
The city expects its two canal tours – the otherone being on Tau Hu – Ben Nghe, which is already operational — to takevisitors through old areas of the city with unique architecture,creating a good impression on them.
The Saigon Boat JSC said forthe nine-kilometre Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe tour, it would get 10southern-style boats that are a metre high and with 20 seats. The canalruns through Districts 1, 3, Tan Binh, Phu Nhuan, and Binh Thanh.
The boats will leave from a wharf near Thi Nghe bridge in Binh Thanhdistrict and berth at a wharf near Khmer Pagoda on Hoang Sa street inDistrict 3.
On board, tourists can enjoy flute, dan tranh (16chord zither), and don ca tai tu (Southern amateur traditional music)performances and taste southern specialities.-VNA
