Phong Dien focuses on ecotourism development

Phong Dien District, which is about 16km away from the center of Can Tho City, is regarded as a realm of southern fruit, with lovely river landscapes and a floating market attracting some thousand of tourists annually.

With its own potential, Phong Dien has become one of Can Tho’s key ecotourism destinations during the 2020-2030 period.

Tran Van Lien, who lives in Nhon Loc 1, Phong Dien Town, Phong Dien District and owns the Vam Xang 2.5ha orchard, welcomed us on a cool day. His orchard is rustically beautiful with fencing flowery shrubs, two vertical lines of arecas along the walk, heaps of straw and a footbridge. The 20-year-old orchard with a variety of southern fruit specialties is worth visiting.

Tourists cannot help visiting Lam The Cuong (Muoi Cuong)’s cocoa garden which is located in My Khanh Commune’s My Ai Village. This renowned cocoa farmer and producer will show tourists his ordinary activities, especially how to produce hand-made cocoa.

Ut Dzach’s Hoi cake production base and garden in Nhon Ai Commune’s Nhon Binh Village is where tourists can make a Hoi cake or some other kinds of cake of their own.

With ecotourism development potential and able to attract more than 500,000 tourists per annum, Phong Dien has been identified as one of Can Tho’s key ecotourism destinations in the Mekong Delta during the 2020-2030 period.

According to its ecotourism development plan, Can Tho will focus on ecotourism development over 300ha in Phong Dien including maintaining and improving local orchards, gardens and tourism villages along with developing other tourism destinations. The city is calling for ecotourism investors in Phong Dien with a view to turn it into an ecological urban area in the future.

Phong Dien, Kien Giang and An Giang are three localities in the Mekong Delta received funding from the EU-funded Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development (EU-ESRT) Program. Phong Dien has received funding for the purchase of equipment for the My Khanh Cultural House, for ESRT Program training and local people’s awareness improvement. Thanks to the assistance, local community tourism activities have been improved in a sustainable manner.

Phong Dien is focusing on perfecting local infrastructure, especially rural roads and arteries linking Can Tho and Phong Dien. In addition, it also push up agricultural cooperation, especially inter-garden or inter-orchard models, along with boosting local ecotourism development links and calling for investors and bank-lent farmers to engage in ecotourism development.

Hoa Quynh