"I had to wait for three hours to board a ba la boat down Ba Ngoan Canal; I never expected it to be so crowded", said Do Thi Chinh, a resident of TP HCM, who visited Thoi Son Islet on 12/7.

Returning to the Mekong Delta after seven years, Chinh and her group of four friends chose Thoi Son Islet out of curiosity about the scenery of this tourist destination, which has become a phenomenon on the Chinese social media platform Douyin.

Chinh (front row) and her friends experience a ba la boat ride on Thoi Son Islet. Photo: NVCC

Thoi Son Islet (also known as Cu Lao Thoi Son or Lan Islet) is the largest among the four islets of Long, Lan, Quy, and Phung on the Tien River. It is located in Thoi Son Ward, Dong Thap province (formerly My Tho City, Tien Giang province). Known as an ecotourism destination, it has welcomed visitors since the 1990s. Its intricate canal system, fruit orchards, and traditional craft villages define the destination's appeal.

Minh Kha Tran, a local tour guide living in My Tho, noted that visitor numbers began to surge in late April and show no signs of slowing down. He attributes Thoi Son's appeal to independent Chinese tourists who posted their experiences on Douyin. These images went viral, attracting a rush of young domestic visitors to the islet.

"Born and raised in My Tho, I have never seen such a large number of visitors to the islet as in the past three months", Minh Kha stated, adding that daily tour bookings for Thoi Son Islet are currently 60-70% higher than at the beginning of the year.

According to the tour guide, visitors to Thoi Son Islet in recent years were primarily group tours, with peak season typically from September to January when overseas Vietnamese return home. Currently, about 70% of visitors are young Gen Z individuals booking shared tours or traveling independently, with the remaining being international groups from places like India and Europe.

Ba la boats carry visitors along Ba Ngoan Canal on Thoi Son Islet. Photo: Quinn

Minh Kha Tran guides a group of visitors on Thoi Son Islet. Photo: Minh Kha Tran

Nhu Y and a foreign visitor touring Thoi Son Islet. Photo: Nhu Y

Horse cart experience on the islet. Photo: Ngoc Anh Tran

Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director at Vietluxtour Travel Company, reported a significant increase in inquiries and requests for My Tho - Thoi Son Islet tour programs since the destination gained social media traction. Interest has risen by 20-25%, and actual service bookings have increased by 10-15% compared to the period before the social media effect.

Popular tours depart from My Tho Marina, taking guests on a cruise along the Tien River. Upon arrival at Thoi Son Islet, visitors explore orchards, bee farms, learn about honey extraction, take horse cart rides around the village, have lunch, visit Phung Islet, experience ba la boat rides on Ba Ngoan Canal, and then return to the mainland. Tour prices range from VND 150,000 to VND 450,000 per person, while personalized tours cost around VND one million.

The sudden increase in visitors often causes congestion on Ba Ngoan Canal, especially on weekends. Since each boat can only carry three to four passengers, waiting times have become extended.

Nguyen Tran Nhu Y, who has four years of local tourism experience, noted that ba la boat waiting times were typically 15-20 minutes on weekends. Over the past two months, boat overcapacity has led to waiting times of one to two hours during peak weekend periods.

Her company's weekend tours to Thoi Son Islet are consistently fully booked, serving an average of 150 guests daily. Initially, the company arranged groups of about 20 people, but this has increased to 30 people to meet demand, with five visiting time slots each day. Bookings are currently full through August.

"We are happy that our hometown is gaining recognition, but the rapid increase in visitors also creates inconveniences", Nhu Y said.

A Vietluxtour representative commented that social media can quickly attract visitors in the short term. However, for sustainable development, the destination needs to standardize service quality, ensure safety, manage visitor numbers to avoid overwhelming the canal system, and develop experiences connected to the community and local culture.

"Social media can bring guests quickly, but only good experiences retain tourists and create long-term value for a destination", Thu stated.

According to Nguyen Thi Xuan Mai, Vice Chairwoman of Thoi Son Ward People's Committee, Thoi Son faces both opportunities and challenges as it must continuously innovate to differentiate itself among riverine tourist spots.

Thoi Son is piloting a community-based tourism development model. The plan includes upgrading infrastructure, developing tourism products, training human resources, promoting communication, developing traditional products, and strengthening state management of tourism. Several infrastructure items have been completed, such as the flower trellis on Ba Ngoan Canal, landscape improvements along route 94C, and the upgrade of Bo Cau pier.

The locality also focuses on human resource training, enhancing service skills, aiming for every resident to be a "tourism ambassador". Currently, Thoi Son has four green tourism companies, 25 accommodation establishments, and a rowing boat cooperative with 450 laborers.

Bich Phuong