Ms. Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, Deputy General Director of Vietravel , speaking at the conference - Photo: ITPC
According to businesses, after the merger, Ho Chi Minh City needs to quickly reposition its tourism structure, identify key products, and help businesses clearly define their direction as well as invest in tourism development.
Legal issues, waiting for planning
The conference took place in the context of Ho Chi Minh City having just merged administrative boundaries and implemented them, so businesses requested information support and guidance on legal procedures related to updating licenses, specialized reports, accommodation facility rankings and administrative procedures after the merger.
Ms. Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, Deputy General Director of Vietravel, pointed out the challenges that the tourism industry in Ho Chi Minh City faces when associated with the new administrative unit. That is the "noise" of destination brands, many names have been changed, causing difficulties in communication and selling long-established tourism products such as "Vung Tau Beach", "Cu Chi Tunnels", "Song Be Golf Tour"...
"But there is currently no overall tourism plan for the entire new region (expanded Ho Chi Minh City), leading to difficulties for travel businesses in not knowing the direction of key products, highlights for promotion and advertising. And there are shortcomings in inter-regional administrative procedures. Businesses have to adjust legal documents, sub-licenses, tax codes when the operating area changes; many procedures have to be redone from the beginning. Then there are problems with inconsistencies in old and new support policies such as tax incentives, promotion policies...", Ms. Hoang said.
Representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association also proposed to revise the Tourism Law, address the situation of fraudulent calls to customers about travel vouchers; issue a new Ho Chi Minh City planning for the period 2026 - 2035; pilot sandbox in suburban areas such as Can Gio, Ho Tram to develop new tourism models, build an identity for the expanded Ho Chi Minh City...
"It is necessary to soon issue a tourism development plan for the entire Ho Chi Minh City expansion area for the period 2026 - 2035 with a vision to 2040, with connectivity and clear positioning of each functional area, as a foundation for travel businesses to build products. Establish a Regional Tourism Coordination Council (including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and the old Ba Ria - Vung Tau) to unify product orientation, promotion mechanisms, destination roles and further coordinate with other areas," said Ms. Hoang.
Still lacking tourism infrastructure after merger
Also at the conference, Ms. Lieu Thi My Hanh, CEO of Les Rives Joint Stock Company, said that there are 17 canoes for river tourism, but up to now the city does not have a public wharf serving inland waterways.
"Why not, I don't know why when Ho Chi Minh City is the economic locomotive. Enterprises invest in boats but have no docks, where can the boats go? Meanwhile, in the city center, there are still docks 3, 4, and pier B - Ba Son that have been empty for a long time without being exploited," Ms. Hanh asked.
This enterprise proposed that the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism act as a bridge to propose to the city, so that river tourism enterprises can have public wharves to serve inland waterways.
In addition to Ms. Hanh's opinion, some hotel units presented difficulties such as fake Fanpage pages that greatly affected hotels and resorts or difficulties in attracting key international guests when the city has a new administrative unit.
In addition, some businesses are concerned and express difficulties in attracting Muslim tourists, Middle Eastern tourists with high spending power...; or difficulties in human factors working in the tourism, hotel and restaurant industries.
Ho Chi Minh City is about to announce 500 new destinations
Regarding the issues raised by enterprises, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, Head of the Department of Planning and Development of Tourism Resources of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, informed that at the end of July, the department will announce a list of new tourism resources, including 500 destinations in phase 1.
According to Ms. Thao, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism will reposition the tourism development strategy until 2030, including brand positioning, core tourism values, and a system of distinctive products... Including product groups: festivals and events; waterway tourism, products related to Ho Chi Minh City's cultural values; night tourism products, products related to agricultural tourism, eco-tourism, and community tourism.
"Regarding policy mechanisms, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism will register with the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee the city's tourism development policy mechanisms, such as tourism investment, training, human resources, festival policy investment, and low-interest loan support. Regarding green tourism products, re-planning the development space of Ho Chi Minh City according to resource value, is expected to be re-submitted in October so that businesses have investment orientation," Ms. Thao emphasized.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/go-vuong-cho-du-lich-tp-hcm-hau-sap-nhap-20250719085624122.htm
Comment (0)