Can Tho (VNA) – The preservation and promotion of water culturalvalues in the Mekong Delta have become more urgent than ever before under theimpacts of the fourth industrial revolution and international integration as wellas the global climate change, heard a workshop in Can Tho city on November 28.

Rector of Can ThoUniversity Associate Professor PhD. Ha Thanh Toan, said water culture in theDelta covers various aspects from history, art, literature, and religion totourism.

Representatives fromthe Political Academy under the Ministry of National Defence said localities,which are able to tap natural advantages and native culture to develop tourism,record stable growth.

They suggested promoting the region’s unique culture of floating markets,gastronomy, boat traveling, and mangrove forest system as well as improve thequality of tourism services.

The southern province of Kien Giang is an example, which earned 3.5 trillionVND (154 million USD) in revenue in 2016 with around 5.4 million tourists, ayear-on-year rise of 42 percent.

Nguyen Ho Thanh from An Giang University and other speakers from Ho Chi MinhCity’s Culture University mentioned the preservation and development oftraditional craft villages such as brocading, Bang Buong conical hat making,boat building, and fishing, which, they said, should receive more financial andtechnological support from authorities.

Researchers from Can Tho and Saigon universities highlighted the diversity andcultural interaction of Kinh – Hoa – Khmer in the southwestern region, creatingspiritual, architectural and gastronomic milestones. 

Pagodas and traditional festivals of ethnic groups are always a highlight intourism, especially for tourists from Europe, they said.-VNA