Vietnam tourism sprint to welcome 25 million international visitors

Vietnam’s tourism industry is facing one of its biggest challenges ever: welcoming 25 million international visitors by 2025, according to the target set by the Government in Resolution 226. However, the numbers show that the finish line is still very far away. Experts also agree that this sprint requires drastic and breakthrough solutions.

Western tourists watch the spirit mediumship in Vietnam.

The difficult problem called 2.75 million

According to data from the General Statistics Office, in the first 8 months of the year, Vietnam welcomed nearly 14 million international visitors, reaching only 56% of the plan. This means that in the remaining 4 months, the industry must attract more than 11 million visitors, or an average of 2.75 million visitors per month.

This is a record number, higher than the historical peak (more than 2 million arrivals/month) that Vietnamese tourism has ever achieved. "This target is very challenging, very big," Mr. Pham Van Thuy, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, admitted at the tourism industry conference on the morning of September 18.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA), said that this is a "very heavy task", requiring "the whole industry to participate in the strongest way".

The challenge comes not only from the pressure of numbers, but also from internal problems. Deputy Director Pham Van Thuy frankly pointed out that many of Vietnam's tourism products are outdated, 10-15 years old, and no longer attractive enough. "We have to change our approach, we have to sell what customers need, not what we have," Mr. Thuy emphasized.

Korean tourist Jung Woo Sung (left) takes a photo with his family while traveling to Da Nang .

The race to find the answer

Faced with time pressure, businesses and associations are looking for solutions. Mr. Vu The Binh said that VITA focuses on two main directions. One is to promote communication on digital platforms, targeting key and emerging markets. The other is to organize fam trips (international tourism surveys), directly promoting with major foreign travel agencies to introduce new products, with the expectation that they can bring visitors to Vietnam in the last quarter of the year.

In addition to traditional methods, product innovation is considered key. Cuisine has emerged as a global trend and Vietnam has great potential. Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, said that cuisine can become a key tourism product, and suggested that localities should cooperate to create tours based on unique culinary cultural values.

However, product innovation also requires a new mindset. Mr. Pham Ha, CEO of Lux Group, believes that Vietnam needs to abandon the "one program fits all" approach. According to him, inviting representatives from many different markets to participate in the same survey program is ineffective.

"We should invite Indian partners to follow a separate schedule, Chinese partners to follow a different schedule, according to their 'taste'," Mr. Ha analyzed. This CEO believes that only when "speaking the language of customers", understanding what they need and meeting those desires, the ability to attract customers will be truly high.

Focus on key markets

To optimize resources for the sprint, the tourism industry will focus on markets with the fastest growth potential. Nearby markets such as China, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan are prioritized. Next is the ASEAN region, especially the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Further markets such as Russia, Western Europe, Northern Europe, especially countries with unilateral visa exemptions from Vietnam, are also focused on.

To increase competitiveness, Mr. Pham Ha suggested that Vietnam could learn "tricks" from neighboring countries like Thailand, for example, giving away domestic round-trip air tickets to international visitors or giving away shopping vouchers.

Although admitting that the target of 25 million visitors is extremely difficult, Mr. Ha still appears optimistic. "It is completely possible, everything can have surprises," he said.

However, the CEO also emphasized another important perspective: the success of the tourism industry should not be measured solely by "counting the number of visitors".

"In addition to increasing the number of visitors, we need to pay special attention to product quality so that visitors spend more. Increasing total tourism revenue from international visitors is also a great success," Mr. Ha concluded. This is also the orientation for sustainable development, when the goal is not only record numbers, but also the real value that the green economy brings.

vnexpress.net

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/cuoc-dua-nuoc-rut-cua-du-lich-viet-don-25-trieu-khach-quoc-te-post882420.html