Tourism promises to make a breakthrough.

According to observations by reporters from the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, over the past two weekends (the 8th and 9th day of the Lunar New Year), the coastal areas of Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa province, Da Nang City, etc., were still bustling with tourists. Prior to that, throughout the Lunar New Year holiday, many hotels in these destinations were fully booked.

Positive signs

In Ho Chi Minh City, the Department of Tourism reported that the number of international visitors to the city during the 2024 Lunar New Year holiday is estimated at 75,000, a 15.4% increase compared to last year's Tet holiday. This includes a significant increase in cruise ship passengers – a high-end tourist segment from Europe, the US, Australia, and Japan – and independent travelers. The number of visitors at tourist areas, attractions, and entertainment venues is estimated at approximately 1.8 million, a 5.9% increase; revenue is estimated at 6,550 billion VND, a 4% increase compared to the same period last year.

During this Tet holiday, Lam Dong province recorded 280,000 tourists, including 20,000 international visitors. 3-5 star hotels are operating at 90%-95% capacity; other types of hotels are operating at around 75%-85%. Da Lat city alone recorded 238,000 visitors – an increase of nearly 61% compared to the same period last year, including 18,000 international visitors and over 178,000 overnight stays.

According to data from the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, during the Lunar New Year holiday from February 8th to 14th, the country's tourism industry is estimated to have welcomed and served 10.5 million domestic tourists, an increase of 16.6% compared to the same period in 2023. Of these, approximately 3.5 million were overnight visitors – an increase of 75% compared to the same period in 2023; the average room occupancy rate is estimated at around 45% - 50%.

Regarding international visitors, in the first month of 2024, the number of visitors to Vietnam reached 1.5 million, an increase of 73.6% compared to the same period. The number of international visitors to Vietnam during the Lunar New Year holiday continued to increase compared to the 2024 Gregorian New Year and the same period in 2023, thanks to the effect of favorable visa policies, correct orientation in restructuring the tourist market, and the efforts of businesses and localities.

For example, some localities have coordinated with airlines and travel agencies to organize welcoming ceremonies for the first visitors of the new year, creating excitement for tourists on the first day of the year. Many tourist areas and destinations have proactively prepared unique themes and innovative tourism products incorporating high technology. Meanwhile, airlines are focusing on improving service quality and increasing flights...

Pressing on the momentum

The positive signals during the Lunar New Year holiday suggest that the tourism industry has promising prospects for the entire year of 2024.

This year, the tourism industry has set a major target of welcoming 18 million international visitors and 110 million domestic visitors. Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director General of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, believes the industry has many reasons to be confident in achieving this goal. Specifically, in recent times, Vietnamese tourism has been highly appreciated by international organizations and media, winning many titles at the World Tourism Awards.

In addition, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also requested localities and units to prepare plans to attract international tourists - including promotion and marketing at events such as: the ITB Fair in Berlin, Germany; the International Tourism Fair in South Korea; the ASEAN-China Fair; the China International Tourism Fair; the World Tourism Fair, etc.

International tourists arriving in Vietnam by cruise ship – a high-end segment from Europe, the US, Australia, and Japan – are showing signs of increasing. (Photo: BINH AN)

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung believes that for the tourism industry to succeed in 2024, it is necessary to pay more attention to tourism linkages, building new, distinctive and unique products that leverage the advantages of each region. In addition, it is crucial to strengthen promotion and advertising to potential markets instead of relying on traditional markets; and to change the approach to reach high-spending markets.

According to Minister Nguyen Van Hung, in recent times, we have shifted from simply posting information on websites and waiting for tourists to find out, to proactively promoting tourism and establishing tourism promotion centers in key markets. With this approach, the tourism industry has seen significant changes in a short period, with an increase in international visitors.

"Tourists are increasingly turning to markets with unique cultural elements like Vietnam for experiences, exploration, and small group travel. With this approach, we hope that the number of international visitors will meet and exceed the set targets, making a significant contribution to the service sector," the Minister confidently stated.

There is still a lot of work to be done.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietravel Tourism Company, believes that in order to achieve the target of welcoming more than 18 million international tourists this year, marking a recovery to the 2019 level - before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out - a specific assessment of each key market is needed.

"China, South Korea, Japan... are key markets for Vietnam in Northeast Asia, but we still lack strategies and solutions for each market. We need clear policies and specific targets for the number of tourists from each market, so that we can plan and act immediately to avoid falling behind," Mr. Ky suggested.

According to Mr. Tran The Dung, General Director of Vietluxtour Travel Company, the number of international tourists visiting Vietnam has only recovered to about 65% - 70% compared to the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, countries in the region are also stepping up efforts to attract international tourists, so the competition will be very fierce.

"Tourists are no longer just 'taking a quick look' like before; they want more experiences. Products and services need to be differentiated. If you only compete on price, it will be difficult to attract repeat customers. Recently, 4- and 5-star hotels have achieved fairly stable occupancy rates and are receiving more international guests than 2- and 3-star hotels," Mr. Dung stated, highlighting the current situation.

Many businesses believe it's time for the tourism industry to design destinations that are both distinctly Vietnamese and highly international, in line with the trend of globalization. Ms. Ngo Huong, Deputy General Director of Business and Marketing at Vinpearl - Vingroup, believes that Vietnam needs to invest in world-class, multi-experience destinations with innovative and unique products, even becoming "must-visit" destinations in Asia.

Regarding solutions, according to Ms. Huong, it is essential to have a flexible visa exemption policy for certain key markets in each stage; seriously develop a national plan for green and sustainable tourism development; and take action to achieve the standards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, as this is an indicator that is particularly highly valued by international tourists.

Mr. Phan Xuan Anh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Viet Cruise Company, said that the company often participates in direct bidding by cruise lines in the US and Europe to win the right to receive passengers when ships dock at ports in Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Chan May, Ha Long, etc.

"To attract cruise ship tourists, in addition to beautiful scenery, it's necessary to invest in developing new tours and routes that combine local culture with modernity. Tourists come to Vietnam to learn about traditions, history, customs, cultural identity, and visit traditional craft villages. Any place that gradually loses its local cultural elements will become less attractive to international tourists," Mr. Xuan Anh shared his experience.

Focus resources on promoting Vietnam as a tourist destination.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu, General Director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, expressed the view that resources should be focused on promoting tourism, not on fragmented efforts. In particular, it is necessary to overcome the situation where Vietnamese tourism is "starting early but falling behind," as we are now not only lagging behind Thailand and Malaysia but are also beginning to fall behind Indonesia in attracting international tourists.

"The most important thing is to promote Vietnam as a destination and showcase the image of the Vietnamese people to international friends. The competition now is about Vietnam as a destination competing with other countries in the region, not about competition between businesses or localities," Mr. Luu commented.

Let's brainstorm solutions to bring international tourists back.

In 2024, Vietnam's tourism industry aims to welcome 17-18 million international visitors. However, the most important thing is not how to attract visitors, but to find solutions to encourage international tourists to stay longer, spend more, and return to Vietnam.

The Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper is launching a forum titled "How to attract international tourists to return multiple times" to gather feedback from experts, managers, businesses, and readers.

Please send all comments, suggestions, and ideas for the forum to the email address: toasoan@nld.com.vn.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/du-lich-hua-hen-but-pha-1962402182016212.htm