The Mekong Delta provinces of An Giang and Kien Giang and Can Tho city have clinched a cooperation agreement on diversifying tourism products in order to attract more tourists to the region, the Saigon Times Daily reported.

Under the agreement, the three localities will map out their own programmes and then build a strong linkage of these products for tourists to enjoy when they tour the localities and the region.

The three localities will also join forces to organise a series of tourism events to support local travel agencies to promote their products and services.

In addition to tourist product diversity, An Giang, Kien Giang and Can Tho will set up a steering committee for tourism growth with the participation of representatives from the governments of these localities.

Experts said the three localities share many similarities but they have strong advantages in developing original tourist products of their own.

For example, An Giang province is famous for craft villages and pilgrimage venues while Can Tho has earned a reputation for its floating markets.

Kien Giang is home to conservation sites, beautiful beaches on Phu Quoc Island and an annual festival highlighting Khmer culture.

Target visitors of the Mekong Delta are those from Hanoi, HCM City as well as Cambodia, Laos and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Statistics of the Mekong Delta Tourism Association showed that the region attracted nearly 11 million visitors as of the end of May, up 9 percent year-on-year and the number of foreign arrivals making up over 803,000 of the total.

Tourism revenue of the region exceeded 2.5 trillion VND in the period, a year-on-year rise of 27 percent.-VNA