The trip to Vietnam of famous people like Bill Gates has a media effect, influencing the travel inspiration of many people, according to experts.
Billionaire Bill Gates and his girlfriend traveled to Da Nang from March 4 to March 7. His trip was commented by many industry experts to have a positive impact on the image of Vietnam's tourism.
Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh, Chairman of the Quang Nam Province Tourism Association, said that the travel schedules of famous people like Bill Gates are very tight. However, after returning home, they can share some photos of their journey and this will help promote Vietnam's tourism indirectly.
"It's a form of free media. When Bill Gates comes to Vietnam, his followers also pay a certain amount of attention, curious about why he came here," Mr. Thanh said.
Billionaire Bill Gates plays tennis in Da Nang on March 7. Photo: Nguyen Dong
Associate Professor Dr. Pham Hong Long, Head of the Faculty of Tourism Studies at the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said it is difficult to measure the specific impact of famous people like Bill Gates on tourism. However, the media effect is noticeable when information about the American billionaire coming to Da Nang attracts public attention.
According to Google Trends, as of the evening of March 6, the phrase "Bill Gates Da Nang" ranked 13th out of 25 fastest growing phrases globally related to the keyword "Bill Gates".
Mr. Long added that Vietnam needs to proactively take advantage of the influence of media celebrities to promote tourism like Thailand and Singapore do. Singapore is creating a fever by exclusively selling Taylor Swift's The Eras Tours in Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, Thailand has always been quick to launch tourism promotion messages. On March 2, legendary tennis player Roger Federer posted a photo of his trip to Bangkok. Three days later, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) posted the message "How To Enjoy Thailand Like Roger Federer?". In the post, the agency guides tourists to experience Thailand like the Swiss tennis player, including taking a tuktuk, exploring floating markets, and eating look choop desserts. A TAT representative said this was not a joint campaign between the two sides.
Thai tourism advertisement image related to Roger Federer's trip posted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Photo: Amazing Thailand
According to Associate Professor Dr. Pham Hong Long, local tourism agencies need to have information channels to grasp the trips of celebrities to welcome them to Vietnam. Da Nang and Hoi An are favorite destinations of many influential people, especially Korean idols. Mr. Long suggested organizing private welcoming parties, not attracting many fans, and in addition, giving them special incentives and experiences during the trip.
"We need to better understand them, show friendliness and turn them into tourism ambassadors for Vietnam," said Mr. Long.
In addition to Bill Gates’ trip, Da Nang has recently attracted many wealthy Indian couples to hold weddings. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai An, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism, said that billionaire Bill Gates’ vacation has helped the city confidently follow the path of developing high-quality tourism that has been set for many years.
Mr. Dang Manh Phuoc, CEO of The Outbox Company, which specializes in market research and tourism data analysis, noted that celebrities may not create an effect that causes followers to "flock to Vietnam". In particular, billionaire Bill Gates travels in a "super-rich" way, so this effect is even more unlikely.
Data from Outbox shows that the information channels for foreign tourists to travel to Ho Chi Minh City mainly come from recommendations from friends, relatives, travel agents, and tourism fairs. For example, Taiwanese people mainly travel to Ho Chi Minh City through recommendations from relatives (47%) and through the media (21%). French tourists decide to travel through information from travel agents (42%) and the media (12%).
Billionaire Bill Gates and his girlfriend enjoy tea on Ban Co peak, Da Nang, on March 6. Photo: Hoang Anh Suong
However, Outbox representative commented that the case of the Tourism Authority of Thailand "catching the beat" when Roger Federer arrived is a good example. Korean idol groups traveling to Da Nang and Hoi An also have the ability to inspire fans. And if we can take advantage of the images of famous people's trips, Vietnam will increase brand awareness.
Tu Nguyen
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