Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (back, fourth, right) witnessed the signing of the cooperation agreement in Can Tho on March 27 (Photo: VNA) Can Tho (VNA) – The People’s Committeeof Can Tho city, the Novaland Group, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and theMilitary Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MBBank) have teamed up to implement aproject on developing the Mekong Delta’s tourism adapted to climate change.
They signed the cooperation agreement in Can Thoon March 27 in the presence of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
The project aims to build and carry out astrategy for tourism connectivity and development of the 13 Mekong Deltalocalities with Can Tho city playing the key role.
The parties in this project hope to buildsuitable models to international standards to tap into the Mekong Delta’stourism potential while preserving local cultural identities. They also look toimprove tourism services and public awareness of environmental protection andhelp small- and medium-sized enterprises create more jobs for local people.
The Mekong Delta is the biggest rice, fruit andaquatic production hub of Vietnam. However, it is also one of the Vietnameseregions most vulnerable to climate change.
BCG Managing Director in Vietnam ChristopherLewis Malone said when it is optimised, the Mekong Delta could be a gem ofVietnam’s tourism that is comparable to some of the world’s famous rivertourism destinations like the Nile Delta in Egypt.
A preliminary estimate of the BCG shows that anadditional 300,000 jobs could be generated in the tourism sector by 2025, givingthe important diversity to the economy and livelihoods of residents in theMekong Delta.
The cooperation among the Can Tho People’sCommittee, Novaland, BCG and MBBank is expected to connect and attractinternational organisations like the World Bank, the International FinanceCorporation, and the Asian Development Bank to fund climate change adaptationin the Mekong Delta.
Appreciating the parties in the project, PrimeMinister Phuc said it is a must to turn risks into opportunities and challengesinto actions in the Mekong Delta. He said he encourages ideas of developingeco-tourism and community-based tourism and bringing into play the MekongDelta’s identities.
He voiced his belief that with the BCG’sprestige and network, the firm will help the Mekong Delta become a magnet fordomestic and foreign investors.
He also asked Can Tho and relevant sectors toprovide favourable conditions for the project to be implemented soon so as toturn the Mekong Delta into a leading tourism destination of the world.-VNA
VNA
