Saigon waterbus in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)HCM City(VNA) – As much as 16 percent of the natural area of Ho Chi Minh City is madeup of rivers and canals, which creates a great resource for the city’s tourismdevelopment through the forming of diverse waterway tourism products, accordingto experts.
Currently, the cityhas over 1,000km of waterways. Of this, the city has building plans for 975km,including 175km for seven maritime routes, 203km for nine national routes, and612km for 94 local routes.
With 320 ports – includingthe four big ones of Sai Gon, Tan Cang-Cat Lai, Ben Nghe, and Nha Be – the cityhas typical characteristics of a metropolis built with western architecture,with one-third of architectural heritage lying along rivers and canals, whichis suitable for tourism development.
Thanks to its diversenatural resources, since 2013, the city has defined waterway tourism as one ofits major products, drawing the investment of many travel firms and investors.
Notably, it hasrecently launched Saigon waterbus, while introducing seven new river tourismproducts.
Since 2016, the cityhas issued several key resolutions and documents highlighting the need to boostwaterway tourism.
Under a waterwaytourism development plan for the 2017-2020 period approved by the municipalPeople’s Committee, there will be at least seven tourism routes in 2020,situated in the Saigon, Dong Nai, Nha Be, Soai Rap, and Long Tau rivers, aswell as other internal canals.
The number of touriststravelling by waterway in the 2017-2018 period reached about 450,000 per yearand up 15 percent in following years.
However, the tourism potentialof Ho Chi Minh City has yet to be fully exploited.
In 2011, the city had37 enterprises with 130 vessels. However, now the figures have shrunk to only19 enterprises with 100 vessels.
According to experts,despite the city’s orientations in boosting waterway tourism development, it hasyet to make adequate investment into infrastructure for the sector. In particular,the closure of the Bach Dang port in District 1 and some other ports inDistrict 4 has caused many difficulties for travel firms in loading andreceiving tourists as well as docking their vessels, resulting in the quittingand switching of business operations.
Meanwhile, dockingstations along waterway tourism routes have stayed modest in number and quality,as well as attraction, while water tourism products have remained few.
Many experts held thatit is necessary to review the planning of riverside heritage for the restorationand repair in order to serve tourism.
Architect Truong ThaiHoai An, from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture, asserted thatthe preservation of historical relic sites along rivers is not only theresponsibility of the Government, but the whole society, and especially urbandevelopment advisors.
The investment in waterwaytourism in line with the exploitation of the value of heritage is also part ofsolutions to protect heritage amidst strong urbanisation process. -VNA
Currently, the cityhas over 1,000km of waterways. Of this, the city has building plans for 975km,including 175km for seven maritime routes, 203km for nine national routes, and612km for 94 local routes.
With 320 ports – includingthe four big ones of Sai Gon, Tan Cang-Cat Lai, Ben Nghe, and Nha Be – the cityhas typical characteristics of a metropolis built with western architecture,with one-third of architectural heritage lying along rivers and canals, whichis suitable for tourism development.
Thanks to its diversenatural resources, since 2013, the city has defined waterway tourism as one ofits major products, drawing the investment of many travel firms and investors.
Notably, it hasrecently launched Saigon waterbus, while introducing seven new river tourismproducts.
Since 2016, the cityhas issued several key resolutions and documents highlighting the need to boostwaterway tourism.
Under a waterwaytourism development plan for the 2017-2020 period approved by the municipalPeople’s Committee, there will be at least seven tourism routes in 2020,situated in the Saigon, Dong Nai, Nha Be, Soai Rap, and Long Tau rivers, aswell as other internal canals.
The number of touriststravelling by waterway in the 2017-2018 period reached about 450,000 per yearand up 15 percent in following years.
However, the tourism potentialof Ho Chi Minh City has yet to be fully exploited.
In 2011, the city had37 enterprises with 130 vessels. However, now the figures have shrunk to only19 enterprises with 100 vessels.
According to experts,despite the city’s orientations in boosting waterway tourism development, it hasyet to make adequate investment into infrastructure for the sector. In particular,the closure of the Bach Dang port in District 1 and some other ports inDistrict 4 has caused many difficulties for travel firms in loading andreceiving tourists as well as docking their vessels, resulting in the quittingand switching of business operations.
Meanwhile, dockingstations along waterway tourism routes have stayed modest in number and quality,as well as attraction, while water tourism products have remained few.
Many experts held thatit is necessary to review the planning of riverside heritage for the restorationand repair in order to serve tourism.
Architect Truong ThaiHoai An, from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture, asserted thatthe preservation of historical relic sites along rivers is not only theresponsibility of the Government, but the whole society, and especially urbandevelopment advisors.
The investment in waterwaytourism in line with the exploitation of the value of heritage is also part ofsolutions to protect heritage amidst strong urbanisation process. -VNA
VNA
