Don't let tourists just come "sightseeing" and then leave!

The Lao Dong Newspaper continues to receive comments and suggestions from businesses and readers on how to "attract international visitors back".

Mr. Nguyen Khoa Luan, Director of Anh Viet Hop on - Hop off Vietnam Company (double-decker bus):

Every international visitor is a tourism ambassador.

To attract international visitors to Vietnam and stay longer, promotion policies are very important. Because European and American visitors often plan their trips very early, maybe from 6 months to a year. Without early, systematic planning, it is difficult for visitors to come to Vietnam and decide to stay a few more days, while if promoted early, they can arrange their schedule to stay for 1-2 weeks.

A flexible and open visa policy is also an important factor. There should be a visa exemption policy and multiple entry and exit policies. Many international visitors come to Vietnam for tourism and then go to Cambodia, Thailand, etc. and then return to Vietnam. A visa exemption and multiple entry policy will help them feel comfortable when coming to Vietnam.

Đừng để khách tới — International tourists visit Ho Chi Minh City on double-decker bus

Our tourism industry has great advantages in terms of natural beauty, wonderful seas; rich cuisine ; diverse folk art… If we exploit these factors well, we will help welcome more international visitors.

In particular, each tourist, including international tourists, is an "ambassador" to help promote the image and people of Vietnam. If we do well, have good tourism products and services, and leave an impression, we can absolutely encourage and have a gift policy... for visitors to rate, vote or check-in in Vietnam and post on social networks - a way of promotion and communication to help spread the tourism industry strongly.

As for our "Hop on - Hop off" double-decker bus product, it is now operating 24/7 in Ho Chi Minh City. Instead of waiting for hours at the airport without knowing what to do, international tourists can use the double-decker bus service to visit and explore the city...

We have applied artificial intelligence (AI) to develop multilingual so that visitors on the double-decker bus can listen to explanations in many languages such as Vietnamese, English, French, German, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, etc.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Nhan (reader in Dong Thap province):

Add products and services to give customers the opportunity to spend more

My hometown in Sa Dec, Dong Thap is also a famous tourist destination. Two places that international visitors often visit are Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House and Kien An Cung Pagoda, and Sa Dec flower village... However, as far as I know, except for Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House, which sells tickets, the other places are free for visitors. Most visitors come via the Mekong River route organized by travel agencies.

It is worth mentioning that tourists have almost no chance to spend anything when coming to these places; visitors also have little chance to experience the cuisine or buy souvenirs when coming to these places.

Therefore, it is necessary to create more products and services for tourists to have the opportunity to spend money. For example, instead of just seeing flower fields and visiting craft villages, units can organize experiences for tourists to live together, grow flowers, take care of and harvest ornamental flowers... Or not only see and enjoy products such as traditional cakes made from various types of flour, but also create opportunities for visitors to directly participate in the stages of making cakes, noodles, pho... in the Sa Dec flour craft village.

If you want guests to stay in Sa Dec for one night at the accommodation system, you have to think about where they will go, what cuisine and culture they will enjoy in the evening? Just a delicious meal with local specialties is not enough. The current product is not enough to attract many tourists because not all groups of guests understand the form of traditional music, local art performances have not reached a special level... so there needs to be support from localities and many other sectors.

If we want to attract tourists back, destinations in the region need to avoid overlapping, where every province is draining ponds to catch fish, listening to traditional music, rowing boats on the river... Tourism products need to be attractive and unique to create excitement for tourists to learn about the professions and daily working lives of the people where they visit...

Cuisine is also a challenge to attract tourists back. The Mekong Delta provinces have similar products and climates, so it is easy to overlap when serving tourists. The most obvious thing is that tourists arriving in Sa Dec only need to get on the train or bus to Can Tho or Chau Doc within a few hours. Souvenirs are not special, just a few postcards or simple handicrafts... hard to "pickpocket" tourists.

Dong Thap has strengths in growing lotus and lotus products. Therefore, it would be better if lotus cakes and jams are produced, processed to meet quality standards and packaged properly to introduce to tourists.

Inviting guests to enjoy tea and traditional jam has been done at Huynh Thuy Le ancient house for a long time, but if the product receives more attention, it could very well become an item that brings significant value when coming here.

Source