A comprehensive solution is needed.

Tourism products in Hoi An during the flood season are considered unfeasible due to safety concerns. (Photo: KL)

The product is not new.

The tourism stimulus program will run for six months. Phase 1, themed " Quang Nam - Summer Emotions," will take place from May to August 2024, and Phase 2, "Golden Season in Quang Nam," will run from September to the end of November 2024, featuring approximately 10 product packages. In addition, more than 40 festivals will be listed and introduced to tourists and businesses during this period.

Phase 1 of the program introduced attractions such as Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, Cu Lao Cham World Biosphere Reserve, Vinwonder Nam Hoi An, Bay Mau Coconut Forest, Pomu Heritage Forest, Phu Ninh Lake Ecotourism Area, Dong Giang Heaven's Gate Ecotourism Area... which are considered not new.

In phase 2, among the six product groups such as "Mossy Old Town," "Hoi An during the Flood Season," "Taste of the Countryside," "Golden Season Covering the Green," the new rice harvest festival, and the terracotta art workshop, the proposals were deemed vague and even impractical.

For example, product groups like "Hoi An during the flood season," which offer experiences like boat trips through the old town during high water levels or boat tours on the Thu Bon River in Cam Kim, sound romantic at first glance but are impractical and difficult to implement due to safety concerns related to tourists during the rainy season and floods. This requires coordination among many departments and agencies; the tourism industry or businesses cannot make decisions on their own.

Even festivals celebrating the new rice harvest, or admiring the terraced rice fields of the Xê Đăng and Ca Dong ethnic groups, are considered difficult to implement due to dependence on infrastructure and destination services…

Besides that, over 40 festivals were listed, ranging from annual festivals in Hoi An such as the Thanh Ha pottery craft's founding anniversary, the "Full Moon Night in the Old Town," the Tan Thanh fishing village market, the lantern festival, Christmas... to highland festivals such as the Ngoc Linh ginseng festival, the Nam Giang district gong and drum festival... which were also considered neither new nor outstanding.

Mr. Le Quoc Viet, Chairman of the Quang Nam Destination Club for Preserving Local Values, said that many product groups in the stimulus program are ideas proposed by the Club to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote the Quang Nam brand, so they are feasible and have the necessary elements for implementation.

“The ‘Golden Season in Quang Nam’ program falls during the off-season, while the scenery in Quang Nam is absolutely stunning during this time, so we need to maximize and thoroughly exploit these advantages to extend the length of stay and spending of tourists.”

"The target market, besides backpackers, will include retirees, middle-aged and elderly people, those interested in learning about culture and relaxation, and foreigners living and working in Vietnam… who cannot travel in the summer due to the hot weather," Mr. Viet analyzed.

A comprehensive solution is needed.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, affirmed that the stimulus program will help attract more tourists to Quang Nam, achieving the target set for tourist arrivals this year.

Stimulating tourism in Quang Nam needs to be more practical. Photo: KL

However, many businesses believe that the key issue in stimulating tourism demand should not be limited to introducing outdated and less viable festival programs and products, but should focus on concrete solutions such as service prices, accommodation, and transportation, especially given the current high air and train ticket prices.

This includes coordinating with accommodation businesses to calculate and consider solutions for hotel room pricing to increase competitiveness.

In fact, compared to Da Nang, accommodation prices in Hoi An are about 20-30% higher, causing many travel agencies to prioritize Da Nang over Quang Nam in order to reduce costs.

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Dung, Director of MP Hoi An Tourism Company, reported that during this holiday season, businesses are operating at a reduced capacity, mainly welcoming regular customers due to high airfare and accommodation prices, making it unprofitable to attract new guests. This is also a common situation for many tourism businesses in Hoi An.

According to Steve Wolstenholme, Chairman and CEO of Hoiana, visitor numbers to the complex are equivalent to 60% of the same period last year due to high airfares. Clearly, stimulating demand now requires the synchronized participation and commitment of many partners and related entities.

In reality, despite coordination with some service providers to stimulate demand, the number is still small and not comprehensive.

Mr. Le Quoc Viet analyzed that, to solve this problem, a diversification of transportation services is needed. Recently, the Quang Nam Destination Club for Preserving Local Values has sent a document requesting the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Department of Transport to provide a list of tourist transportation companies to inform visitors.

In addition, the club also discussed with the tourism industry to research and implement several solutions such as cooperating with bus companies; renting tourist trains (renting carriages, chartering trips, or adding more carriages) to bring tourists from Hanoi and Hue to Da Nang and Quang Nam.

Even considering the possibility of Thaco Truong Hai leasing or establishing a fleet of vehicles to serve passengers traveling from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to Hoi An, thus reducing reliance on air travel, this remains just an idea, at least not yet a reality.

Source