Persistent difficulties

Once in Can Tho, few tourists miss Binh Thuy Communal House, a destination with unique cultural history and architecture. Mr. Phi Van Lang, a visitor from Hanoi who visited this temple in May, said: “During our stay in Can Tho city, with the guide, we visited the communal house of Binh Thuy. This temple is of very beautiful architecture, carved with unique motifs, in a calm and sacred space”. Binh Thuy Communal House is a well-known address for tourists traveling to Can Tho, often offered by travel agencies. However, the number of visitors is unstable, which causes some problems. According to the Board of this place, the biggest concern is that many tour groups have a tour guide who does not master enough knowledge about this place, therefore tourists do not know its history and its architecture properly. Another difficulty, as communal houses and pagodas are places of worship open to everyone and free of charge, so it is difficult to take information from visitors.

Mr. Le Van Muoi, Deputy Head of Binh Thuy Commune House Board, shared his opinion: “For group visitors from tour operators, we would like their manager to contact us on-site or at the Council, for a guided tour with appropriate instructions”. Mr. Do Thanh Tung, Director of Mekong Delta Explorer Travel and Events company, said, “It is very important to have a local guide. From him and the site manager, we better understand the interesting and unique things about each destination.”

Mr. Nguyen Van Duy, Head of the Board of Directors of Tan An Town Hall, also expressed, “Tan An Town Hall has a long history, located in the city center but hardly known by people. Visitors are few. On the tourist maps and on the tours organized by travel agencies, we do not find the name of the communal house of Tan An. We always want to have solutions and cooperation so that tourists can know the communal house of Tan An better”.

Possible resolutions

In order to organize cultural and spiritual tourism tours, the Can Tho Tourism Development Center and travel agencies have set up a team of investigators to know the shortcomings and difficulties to overcome them step by step. Mr. Tran Thanh Nghi, Director of Benthanh Tourist Can Tho, said: “Cultural and spiritual tourism is a need for certain categories of visitors. Coming to Can Tho, they are also looking for places of worship to come and express their respect, especially the recent Hung Kings Temple. Thanks to this survey, we know new destinations that travel agencies can use to develop their itineraries specialized in cultural and spiritual tourism”. Mr. Le Van Muoi, Deputy Director of Binh Thuy Town Hall Board, said, “The survey conducted by travel agencies has created a driving force for tourism development to Binh Thuy Town Hall in the making it more known to the general public. As a result, we will be able, with the travel agencies, to obtain more efficient circuits, with a more stable number of visitors and better organization". Sharing the same opinion, Mr. Nguyen Van Duy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the house Municipality of Tan An, also said that through the survey, travel agencies will be able to learn about the activities and specificities of each site, which allows them to set up reasonable tourist routes attracting visitors.

Seeking to resolve existing difficulties at tourist sites, Mr. Do Thanh Tung, Director of Mekong Delta Explorer Travel and Events Company, expressed, “For group tours, agencies need locals to communicate where to find local guides. For individual tours, the locality should have audio recordings available to provide visitors. In addition, site maps should be available for them to follow the appropriate instructions. For tours within the downtown, I propose that the locality use electric means of transport because now visitors appreciate this means of transport to discover the city”. For his part, Mr. Tran Thanh Nghi, Director of Benthanh Tourist Can Tho, noted: “For these destinations to attract more tourists, the locality needs to add services. Depending on the history or the characteristic culture of each site, corresponding activities can be carried out or reproduced. Concretely, at the Temple of the Hung Kings, offerings of flowers and incense, commemorative ceremonies are possible…”.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan, Deputy Director of Culture, Sports and Tourism Department of Can Tho city, said, “Can Tho city has great potential for developing cultural and spiritual tourism, thanks to its rich cultural heritage. and historical. Recently, these tourist sites have been promoted and connected to the various travel agencies so that they can carry out adapted circuits. We are always coordinating with localities to find ways to effectively exploit these types of tourism. We select suggestions from agencies to be able to adjust, renew and add appropriate services to promote the potential of cultural and spiritual tourism”.