Chau Doc city in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang is considered an important trade gateway of the region to Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations by both land and waterway.

Through the city, travellers can reach four border gates in An Giang province, namely Tinh Bien, Vinh Xuong, Khanh Binh and Vinh Hoi Dong.

Based on such a geographic advantage, Chau Doc aims for a 17.19 percent growth in service, trade and tourism industries, which will make up 71.8 percent of its economic structure, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Phan Hong Van said.

It plans to promote its tourism by upgrading Sam Mountain area to a national-level tourist site, continuing to advertise its specialities such as fish sauce, palm sugar and handicrafts, and building a tourism trademark for the city, he added.

Chau Doc has welcomed over four million visitors this year, up 10.57 percent from 2012.

Over the past years, two-way trade between Vietnam and Cambodia has increased at a steady annual growth rate of 30 percent. Their trade turnover is projected to climb to 3.5 billion USD in 2013 and about five billion USD by 2015.

Cambodia receives more Vietnamese tourists than from any other nation, with numbers rising by an average of 30 percent per year.-VNA