That incident occurred during the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic, and my friend and I were so busy that we lost touch, although I did remember you when I had free time. Yesterday, I happened to see groups of foreign tourists walking on the street; they seemed to be around the same age, perhaps a family with bewildered children gazing at the streets of Phan Thiet with delight. It suddenly reminded me of the issue you were concerned about. Has the winter season begun? Yes, it's already the end of November, the time when, according to natural law in Europe, winter arrives and snow falls on every door.
Around this time in previous years, Mui Ne tourism began to welcome visitors from many countries around the world, but the most prominent were Russian and German tourists. One group, Russian tourists, preferred budget travel, with tourism establishments reporting that 50% stayed in resorts and 50% in guesthouses. Another group, German tourists, were high-end, 100% wealthy travelers who preferred resorts with as many stars as possible. Then the Covid-19 pandemic occurred, followed by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, preventing the formation of a proper winter tourist season in Binh Thuan . This continued for three years. This year, however, there is a glimmer of hope for a proper tourist season to emerge, especially with the early arrival of German tourists.
Dear friend!
I've gone on at length like this so you understand that, in this context, the resort capital region is experiencing unexpected developments in attracting international tourists. Similar to the past few months, with the opening of the two expressways, Dau Giay – Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet – Vinh Hao, Binh Thuan's tourism sector has already attracted far more visitors than planned. The projected number for the end of the year is 8.3 million. Breaking it down, domestic tourists are the majority, with only about 230,000 foreign visitors – a small number. However, compared to 2022 with 87,000 foreign visitors, this represents an increase of almost three times. Compared to 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of foreign visitors this year is estimated to be only 30-40%. Nevertheless, this at least shows a gradual recovery for the winter tourist season.
When I asked the tourism establishments about the groups of tourists I saw that day, they said they were Germans. This year, German tourists suddenly arrived in Mui Ne almost 1.5 months earlier than usual (before the Covid-19 pandemic), whereas normally they would come around Christmas. It's unclear why they arranged to come to Mui Ne so early this year, while Russian tourists, who used to fill Nguyen Dinh Chieu street in previous years, are now nowhere to be seen. The reason is obvious; no need to elaborate. Regardless of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, regardless of soaring crude oil prices, regardless of disrupted supply chains… German tourists are coming to Vietnam, spending their winter in the coastal city of Phan Thiet, where for the past few days, a lingering mist has hung over the streets and the distant sea, both in the early mornings and late afternoons.
The owner of a restaurant on Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street excitedly recounted that this year's winter tourist season saw his shop open early because he noticed German tourists knocking on the door. These regulars, who hadn't visited in a long time, returned with great enthusiasm this winter. In recent days, his shop has welcomed around 30 German customers a day, a promising sign for a bustling winter tourist season this year.
Dear friend!
The winter tourist season typically runs from November to April of the following year, according to the Gregorian calendar. In previous years, the passion for this region led many foreign tourists to stay in Mui Ne throughout the entire season, some even staying through the peak season. At that time, resorts competed fiercely to attract and retain guests, creating a soft power and contributing to Mui Ne's reputation as the resort capital. However, life's patterns are not linear, but rather follow a graph. Looking at the past three years, the winter tourist season has declined, but this year it will likely recover and flourish. This isn't just a baseless hope; it's well-founded. Tourism in Binh Thuan will see an improvement in visitor numbers in 2024. The widespread impact of the war has eased, and people around the world have become accustomed to hardship. Because the government reopened early after the pandemic and has now identified shortcomings, it is working to improve and attract more tourists than other countries in the region. And because the tourism establishments in the province, after all the upheavals, know how to strengthen their "soft power" to attract and retain visitors. Don't you agree?
Phan Thiet, November 25, 2023
BICH NGHI - PHOTO BY N. LAN
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