POTENTIAL FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT FROM CULTURAL HERITAGE

02/06/2026

An Giang province boasts diverse topography and a coexistence of many ethnic groups, creating a rich cultural landscape, particularly in its heritage sites. This makes the province attractive to tourists and provides a crucial foundation for sustainable tourism development. According to statistics from the Department of Culture and Sports, the province has 2 representative intangible cultural heritage sites of humanity: Southern Vietnamese folk music (2013), the Via Ba Chua Xu Nui Sam Festival (2024), and 10 national intangible cultural heritage sites including the Bay Nui Bull Racing Festival (2016), the knowledge and techniques of writing on palm leaves of the Khmer people (2017), the Ky Yen Festival at Thoai Ngoc Hau Temple (2020), the Phu Quoc fish sauce making craft (2021), the life cycle rituals of the Cham Muslims (2023), the Di-ke theatrical art of the Khmer people (2023), the brocade weaving craft of the Cham people (2023), the Nguyen Trung Truc Temple Festival (2023), the palm sugar making craft of the Khmer people (2024), and the Chhay-dam drum performance art of the Khmer people (2025).

In addition, the province has 152 ranked historical sites, including 3 Special National Monuments: the Ton Duc Thang Memorial Area (2012), the Oc Eo - Ba The Archaeological and Architectural Art Site (2012), and Phu Quoc Prison (2014); 50 national-level monuments and 99 provincial-level monuments. All of these clearly demonstrate the creativity of our ancestors in building and protecting their homeland.

To exploit heritage resources for tourism, An Giang is oriented towards a sustainable development model, with cultural values ​​as the focus, avoiding excessive commercialization. In particular, cultural tourism needs to be implemented based on the direct participation of the community, ensuring that people are both creators, partners, and direct beneficiaries of their own heritage. This approach both increases economic benefits and creates motivation for preservation.

Accordingly, key cultural tourism products include religious and cultural tourism in Vinh Te and Chau Doc; Khmer cultural tourism in the That Son region; Cham cultural tourism in Chau Phong; coastal and port cultural tourism in Ha Tien and Kien Luong; and cultural and ecological tourism in U Minh Thuong… In each area, tourists can participate in folk festivals, enjoy traditional art performances, experience handicrafts, and savor local cuisine… This is an opportunity for tourists to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural life of the people of An Giang in general and each ethnic group in particular.

In the long term, the province can orient the development of community-based tourism models suitable to the characteristics of each ecological and cultural sub-region. Each model will be designed based on the criteria of sustainability, environmental friendliness, and respect for the distinctive cultural values ​​of the local inhabitants. At the same time, it will promote cultural industries and creative design based on brocade, traditional art, local cuisine, and festivals. Encouraging innovative startups linked to cultural products, distinctive products, and OCOP products. Thus, culture-based tourism is clearly defined and integrated into a system.

Along with preserving the original values ​​of traditional festivals, the province continues to organize large-scale cultural and tourism events with the potential to spread throughout the region, creating highlights in the annual event schedule of the Mekong Delta. For example, in recent years, events such as the Chau Doc Fish Sauce Festival (2022), the Ha Tien Culture and Culinary Week (2024), the Phu Quoc Fish Sauce Festival (2025), the Rach Gia Culinary Tourism Festival (2025)... have had a positive effect, both honoring the unique cultural characteristics of each locality and enhancing the ability to attract tourists, contributing to economic development.

Overall, leveraging cultural heritage in tourism development is of significant importance to An Giang province, contributing to the preservation of traditional cultural values, promoting the local image, and attracting tourists. Simultaneously, it contributes to job creation, increases income for local people, and promotes sustainable socio-economic development in the area.

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