The tourism sector of the Mekong Delta may need 208,000 workers by 2020,including 75,000 direct ones, according to the Institute for TourismDevelopment Research’s latest forecast.

Lastyear, the region welcomed nearly 20 million visitors, including 1.6foreign arrivals, netting over 4.3 trillion VND, or just six percent ofthe 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 enoughto serve the flow of visitors, said participants to a recent seminar inCan Tho City on tourism in the Mekong Delta region.

HaVan Sieu, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research,said the region’s tour guides are not equipped with necessary knowledgeand skills, especially foreign language and computer ones.

In addition, cooperation among tourism training establishments is notefficient and not many students choose to work in the tourism sectorafter graduating from these establishments, he added.

The region comprises of 12 provinces: An Giang, Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, CaMau, 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 of40,000 square kilometers and a population of 18 million.

The delta has rich tourism potential; it is home to a typical plainsecological landscape with a mysterious and charming system of waterways,while boasting many islands and beaches. The region is also endowedwith fertile land and tropical weather, which allow trees to bear fruitsin all four seasons. Local people are kind and hospitable, who enjoy asimple but generous lifestyle.

To boost tourismdevelopment, 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