Hue tourism still faces many challenges.

Many challenges

Speaking about MICE tourism (a type of tourism combining conferences, seminars, exhibitions, events, and incentive travel for employees and partners), Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thanh, Director of Dai Bang Tourism Joint Stock Company, expressed regret. He said: “While Hue used to be the top choice in the region for MICE events, it is now gradually losing its position and showing signs of falling behind neighboring provinces and cities. The occupancy rate of accommodations in Hue is still quite low. Meanwhile, many groups of thousands of people don't like being split up to stay in different hotels. Recently, tourists have flocked to Da Nang and Hoi An, and MICE tourism has developed there, which makes me feel sorry for Hue.”

Hotel and accommodation occupancy rates are not only a barrier to the development of MICE tourism. In fact, during peak tourist seasons or when Thua Thien Hue hosts major events and festivals, the difficulty in finding accommodation is a common complaint among tourists.

The above issue is just one of many challenges that Hue tourism is facing in its development process. Recently, the provincial People's Committee leaders held a meeting to hear reports on the current situation and solutions to rectify and restore urban order, ensure safety for tourists, and improve the tourism environment at tourist attractions and historical sites in Hue city. Many issues were raised, including the shortage of tourism personnel, incomplete infrastructure, overcrowding at tourist sites, and the continued existence of touts and aggressive soliciting of tourists.

Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Department of Tourism, expressed concern that many tourism businesses are facing a serious shortage of personnel as they resume operations after a long period of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to some units and activities not yet returning to their previous routines and regulations. Furthermore, in practice, the level of knowledge and understanding of history among some tour guides is also a significant obstacle.

According to the leaders of the Hue Imperial Citadel Conservation Center, there are still difficulties when the monument protection force faces "touts." These individuals often entice tourists to buy sesame candy, shrimp paste, etc. In particular, when tourists are listening to tour guides introducing the historical site, they are interrupted, shortening the time tourists spend visiting and experiencing the site so that they can use the services of the touts who have pre-arranged connections. This makes tourists dissatisfied and negatively impacts the image and tourism environment of the heritage sites.

A quick survey of several tourists revealed that Hue's positive attributes include its diverse and affordable cuisine . However, a major concern is food safety and hygiene. In February 2023, a popular TikToker posted a video claiming that a fly was found in food at a snail restaurant in Hue, sparking mixed reactions online. Many also complained that some Hue restaurants lacked hygiene, negatively impacting the city's tourism image.

Creating an attractive tourism environment.

Undeniably, tourism in Hue is developing day by day and has become a key economic sector, making a significant contribution to the province's socio-economic development.

However, in the context of development, pressures and challenges will increase, and the aforementioned problems and challenges may become serious, significantly impacting the province's tourism and causing Hue tourism to gradually lose its competitive advantage.

To address the challenges facing Hue tourism, it requires not only the role of the tourism industry but also the concerted efforts of various departments and agencies, as well as the awareness of the people in preserving and promoting the beauty of the ancient capital's tourism. This will collectively create a safe, friendly, and attractive tourism environment. Relevant departments and agencies need to focus on investing in tourism infrastructure, including lighting for tourist boats. Furthermore, a hotline system connecting various departments and agencies should be restructured and regularly displayed at tourist sites so that people can report issues and receive timely solutions.

The province also needs to continue to have reasonable mechanisms and policies to attract investment in tourism based on the potential, characteristics, and strengths of the ancient capital's tourism. In addition, functional units need to develop many solutions to improve business capacity and the quality of products and services, in line with the needs and fluctuations of the tourism market.

Statistics for the first five months of 2023 show that Hue received 1,279,503 visitors, an increase of over 116% compared to the same period last year. Total tourism revenue is estimated at 2,942.434 billion VND, an increase of over 163% compared to the same period last year. The projected number of visitors for the first six months of 2023 is 1.6 million, an increase of over 129% compared to the same period. Total tourism revenue is estimated at 3,500 billion VND.

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