Tourism in Ba Ria - Vung Tau and the Southeast region seeks a new path

Linking tourism development to create a regional image and brand.

Attending the workshop were Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism; Mr. Le Ngoc Khanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province; Mr. Le The Chu - Editor-in-Chief of Tuoi Tre Newspaper, along with nearly 150 guests including representatives from the People's Committees, Tourism Associations and Tourism Departments of provinces and cities in the Southeast region such as Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, and Binh Phuoc.

The program is also supported by Saigontourist Group and tourism businesses belonging to the Southeast Asia Tourism Associations (STA) group.

A view of the workshop "Tourism in Ba Ria - Vung Tau and the Southeast region: Finding a new path". Photo: Q.D.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Le Ngoc Khanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, affirmed that cooperation and linkages in the development of regional tourism not only bring tourism development benefits to each locality but also support and complement each other's tourism products, creating complete product and service chains.

This also creates opportunities for localities in the region to exchange and support training and human resource development, create high-quality, distinctive tourism products, and build a common image and brand for the entire region.

The leaders of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province also affirmed that the province has its own unique marine tourism products, creating a distinctive character, and also serving as supplementary tourism products for other localities in the region.

"Strengthening linkages in the process of tourism development at the local level, as well as linkages between Ba Ria - Vung Tau and other localities, in accordance with Resolution No. 24 of 2022 of the Politburo on the development of the Southeast region until 2030, with a vision to 2045, is a necessary direction at present," said Mr. Le Ngoc Khanh.

Mr. Le Ngoc Khanh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, speaks at the workshop. Photo: Q.D.

Suggestions for finding a new path for tourism in the Southeast region of Vietnam.

At the workshop, leaders of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Tourism Association and leaders of tourism companies presented papers, along with experts in tourism, culture, and cuisine, and businesses in the tourism, aviation, travel, and accommodation sectors. They discussed and proposed solutions for developing tourism in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, connecting it effectively with the Southeast region, in the context of changing tourism infrastructure.

Opening the discussion, Mr. Pham Ngoc Hai, Chairman of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Tourism Association and head of the Southeast Asia Tourism Associations Linkage Group (STA), outlined the difficulties, current situation, and proposed solutions for planning and developing tourism in the locality in the coming time.

In addition, Saigontourist, representing a leading tourism enterprise, offered suggestions, proposals, and solutions for developing tourism in Ba Ria - Vung Tau in connection with the Southeast region.

From the perspective of a specialist researching Vietnamese tourism, Mr. Dang Manh Phuoc, CEO of Outbox Company, has assessed the growth and key characteristics of the high-end tourist market in Vietnam. He also highlighted the advantages and opportunities for Ba Ria - Vung Tau in attracting high-end tourists in particular and the Southeast region in general. Accordingly, he proposed initiatives to enhance Ba Ria - Vung Tau's competitiveness, aiming to become a high-end tourism hub in the Southeast region.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Hai, Chairman of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Tourism Association and head of the Southeast Asia Tourism Associations Linkage Group (STA), outlined the difficulties, current situation, and proposed solutions for planning and developing tourism in the locality in the coming time. Photo: Q.D.

During the workshop's discussion session, a visual comparison between the Ho Chi Minh City – Ba Ria – Vung Tau and other provinces in the Southeast region and the Bangkok – Pattaya route in Thailand raised several topics for discussion among the guests.

In particular, tourism in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, and the Southeast region in general, needs to diversify its products and improve service quality so that tourists can extend their stay and spend more on entertainment, dining, shopping, souvenirs, and other services.

Representatives from the Departments of Tourism of provinces and cities in the Southeast region also put forward proposals on mechanisms and policies to develop local and regional tourism. In addition, experts and businesses in the tourism industry contributed to the lively discussion with new tourism products that are trending, such as high-end tourism segments: health tourism, wellness tourism, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), etc.

To partially realize the goal of linking tourism development in the Southeast region, at the workshop, tourism businesses in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province and the provinces of Ben Tre, Binh Phuoc, and Tay Ninh joined hands to sign a cooperation agreement to promote, build, and develop inter-regional tourism products.

In the first six months of 2023, approximately 7 million tourists visited Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, an increase of over 17% compared to the same period last year. Of these, the total number of overnight stays was estimated at over 2.2 million, and total tourism revenue in Ba Ria - Vung Tau during the first six months of 2023 was estimated at over 7,000 billion VND.

To date, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has attracted 133 tourism investment projects, of which 50 have been completed and put into operation, offering diverse and unique products suitable for the international tourism market.

Gio Linh

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/du-lich-ba-ria-vung-tau-va-dong-nam-bo-di-tim-con-duong-moi-a611913.html