📋 Tender Overview
After the merger, Can Tho has an expanded and more diverse tourism space, from river cities, gardens, agricultural ecology to indigenous culture and estuary - sea areas. But more resources do not necessarily mean a strong destination. From tourist experiences, business stories to expert and government perspectives, the series seeks solutions to turn resources into itineraries that are different enough to make visitors stay longer, spend more and want to return. Download Fruit Floating Market at My Khanh Tourist Area - a destination that attracts many tourists to experience the river and fruit culture of the Mekong Delta - Photo: Huu HoangCan Tho has a much larger experience space after merging the three localities, but from tourists, tour guides to hotels all point out the same paradox: Many visitors come, but the stay time is still short. The problem is no longer how many destinations there are, but whether the City creates enough reasons for tourists to stay longer? There are many visitors, but the stay is still short. During 3 days in Can Tho, Ms. Le Thi Minh and a group of young people from Thanh Hoa brought with them the familiar expectations of those who come to Tay Do for the first time: Cai Rang floating market, Ninh Kieu wharf, Con Son and the song Can Tho white rice, clear water/Whoever goes there, does not want to return.But after Going to previously known locations, the groups schedule began to thin out. Ms. Minh said that all the familiar spots only went in one day so the group didnt know where to go for the remaining days. As someone who loves to explore, she believes that Can Tho tourism needs to be more organized so that visitors can come longer, come more times, not just once. Ms. Minh is still impressed with the peace, quiet and friendliness of the people. However, in the groups experience, some service steps at Cai Rang floating market still create a feeling of irregularity; She reflected on the situation of solicitation, inconsistent train prices and hygiene in some areas that were not as expected. The story of the Thanh Hoa tourist group is not the only slice. Two Israeli tourists Ronen Ascher and Erga Granot Ascher like the floating market, the river, the atmosphere, the people and local life, but their expected time in Can Tho is only about 1-2 nights. They are willing to recommend Can Tho to friends, but the short stay still raises the question: What is missing to make their love for the destination translate into an extra 1-2 nights of stay? Download International tourists experience making folk cakes on Can Thos rivers - Photo: Mekong Smile Company. Data shows that Can Tho tourism does not lack attraction. According to Can Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the City currently has more than 800 accommodation establishments with more than 14,000 rooms; 90 travel business units and about 116 tourist areas, spots, and gardens. In the first 8 months of 2026, the City is estimated to welcome more than 10.5 million visitors, an increase of 22% over the same period; including about 498,000 international visitors. Staying tourists reached nearly 3.9 million, total revenue from tourism is estimated at 9.3 trillion VND, an increase of 27.8%. But at the level of each itinerary, the length of stay is still a problem. Tour guide Tieu Thanh Phat, Vietravel Can Tho Branch, said that visitors currently often go on day tours or 2 days 1 night. Some groups combine Can Tho with other Western destinations so their stay in the city is not long. The questions he often receives are also very practical: What delicious dishes are there in Can Tho?, Where should you go in the evening in Can Tho?, Are there any typical activities that other localities dont have? According to Mr. Phat, Con Son, My Khanh Tourist Area and Cai Rang floating market still create excitement, especially for first-time visitors. However, the big gap is that the product is not really different and highly recognizable compared to some other Western locations. Many programs still repeat the motifs of boat trips, fruit gardens, amateur music, and visiting specialty establishments. For people who have experienced the West, the new feeling may therefore decrease. Mr. Phat does not think that building a 3-day Can Tho tour is too difficult. Can Tho has enough resources to build a 3-day program, but must avoid repeating experiences, increase interaction with people and create activities with Can Thos mark. In another area of the tourism chain, Mr. Hoang Trung Duc, Director of Muong Thanh Luxury Can Tho Hotel, said one-night stays are currently the most popular at the hotel, especially with business and MICE guests. For tourists, the length of stay tends to be longer when Can Tho and regional destinations are connected into convenient, diverse itineraries. The period after 6-7 p.m. is a clear test. According to Mr. Duc, guests often have dinner, go to Ninh Kieu Wharf, night market, walk around, drink coffee or meet friends. The need to go out and experience things after dinner is quite clear, but politicians often ask the hotel: Are there any places to have fun and visit in the evening? or What is interesting to experience in Can Tho? According to him, if there are more typical activities after 6:00 p.m., guests will have a reason to extend their stay. Cuisine, culture, entertainment, shopping, entertainment and nightlife experiences can form an ecosystem instead of discrete options.c. Thus, the story of retaining guests does not just lie in having an additional daytime attraction. It is also the ability to fill the whole journey: What to experience in the morning, where to go in the afternoon, what products to spend money on in the evening and what is different enough the next day to make guests not want to leave the city. Download Night Market on Ninh Kieu Wharf - Photo: chinphu.vn/LS Gap of high-spending tourists For Mr. Pham Dinh Thang, 52 years old, Hanoi businessman, the story of retaining customers is se
