Saigontourist Travel: From a half-century tourism brand to aspiration to reach new heights

(NLDO) - Saigontourist Travel is one of the leading brands in the tourism industry in Vietnam, associated with the journey of opening up and welcoming international visitors.

As one of the brands honored as a typical enterprise of Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), Saigontourist Travel Service Company Limited is continuing its pioneering position in the tourism industry, contributing to promoting the image of Vietnam to international friends. On August 1, this brand celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Reporter of Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper talked with Mr. Nguyen Huu Y Yen, Chairman of the Board of Members, Saigontourist Travel about the 50-year journey of perseverance and courage of a brand closely associated with the development of the city, and also stories that are rarely told.

Journey of a 50-year tourism brand

Reporter: Saigontourist Travel is the first tourism operator to welcome guests to Ho Chi Minh City after the country's reunification. What was the context like at that time, sir?

Mr. Nguyen Huu Y Yen : In 1975, when it was first established, the company was just a unit serving diplomatic delegations, mainly international guests. The name at that time was the Tourist Guide Department (the predecessor of today's Saigontourist Travel), under the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Company (the predecessor of today's Saigontourist Group). By 1988, the company began organizing international tours taking groups of guests to Cambodia, Germany, and France.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Y Yen

In 1990, the Tour Guide Department was renamed the Tour Operation Center. The main business area was international tourism. The first overseas tour program was successfully organized by the company in Cambodia, Germany and France.

As a state-owned enterprise after unification, the company's main business at that time was receiving international guests. What was the advantage here?

In fact, the context at that time was only the Tourist Guide Department but the staff was well-trained in foreign languages to serve and welcome diplomatic delegations. The beginning shaped professionalism, the premise for tourism development. By 1992, the pivotal year of promoting the development of diverse tours, starting to dominate the foreign tourism market. The company officially established the Foreign Tourism Department.

The Tourism Operations Center launched the first tourism program for international cruise tourists. At that time, this was a very new type of tourism in Vietnam, but that start created momentum for the development of the cruise tourism business, which is extremely strong at Saigontourist Travel today.

In 2000, we welcomed the 21st century with a milestone: The first travel company in Vietnam welcomed more than 100,000 international cruise ship passengers. The Tourism Operations Center officially changed its name to Saigontourist Travel Service Company, under Saigon Tourist Corporation (Saigontourist Group).

Saigontourist Travel marks its 50th anniversary, but you yourself have been with the company for 30 years. Which period was the most difficult for the company, in your opinion?

The most difficult period was certainly the COVID-19 pandemic, as we know and have experienced, and Ho Chi Minh City was the locality that suffered the most damage. From 2020 to 2021, the tourism industry was almost completely frozen. There was no revenue, only expenses... The company was going from about 1,200 staff but had to reduce to 800 people, a reduction of 1/3. Some people asked for temporary leave and returned to their hometowns.

But we decided not to close any offices, still maintaining operations at the minimum basic salary. By 2022, when the market gradually recovers, we will start again with domestic tours such as Can Gio Xanh, Cu Chi Xanh, regain momentum and gradually rebuild the team. The most important thing in the travel industry is human resources, as long as the management system is still there, the human resources system is still there, the company will still exist...

From a rudimentary Tourist Guide Office to the position of the leading travel agency in the country, what is the secret that helps the company maintain that position ?

Our position comes from our historical foundation and professional staff. Since 1975, the company has built a team of tour guides who are good at foreign languages, serving international guests. When Vietnam opened its doors in 1990-1991, the number of international visitors poured in, we took advantage of this to develop strongly. Large cruise ships with thousands of passengers or international conference groups all chose Saigontourist Travel because of its organizational capacity and reputation.

Competitive Strategy with the AI Explosion

But now, can't even a tourism "big guy" like us avoid competing with the explosion of AI?

It is true that competition is fierce, especially in the retail sector. Small businesses are leveraging technology, such as AI and social media, to reach individual customers. Large companies like us must also strive for digital transformation to avoid falling behind. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have begun to digitize all internal processes, from management to sales. Now, there is no more manual paperwork, employees can work remotely, and access data at any time.

International cruise passengers are one of the company's strong segments.

Digital transformation is an inevitable trend . What strategy can a company use to compete, not only to be the leading position in the country but also to reach the regional level?

Investing in digitalization is a certainty. Our goal in the next 3-5 years is to build a smart digital platform, integrated with AI, to reach customers more effectively. For example, customers only need to say: "I want to go to Thailand this May, stay at a 4-star hotel, budget 10 million VND...", the system will automatically provide suitable schedules, hotels, and prices. Currently, we are working with leading technology corporations in Vietnam or considering purchasing foreign technology for implementation.

Was it difficult to build that foundation?

The challenge is the input data. Currently, our data is still mainly on paper or in PDF files, not fully digitized. We need an AI system that can process huge data stores, from contracts, destinations, to prices, to come up with flexible, personalized products.

So Besides investing in technology, does the company have any plans to maintain its brand and compete in the international market?

In addition to digital transformation, we focus on strengthening the large group customer segment - conferences, seminars, international corporations - because this has long been a strength, small businesses find it difficult to compete. The company also invests in exclusive products - special experience tours, unique cultural itineraries. Instead of just retailing or packaging services, we want to create itineraries with our own mark, not mixed with anyone else...

Regarding the international market, the goal is to position Vietnam as an attractive destination for European, American, and East Asian tourists. At the same time, we want to expand our services to welcome guests from these markets, not only bringing Vietnamese tourists abroad but Saigontourist Travel is also a regional destination management company (DMC). We specialize in serving international tourists to Vietnam and countries in the Southeast Asian region.

International guests welcomed and served by the company

Saigontourist Travel is not only a familiar name to millions of tourists, but also a pioneer in designing tourism products closely related to national culture and history, contributing to promoting the country's image to the world.

To maintain that position, the whole team must constantly innovate, learn, and accept change. The tourism industry depends heavily on people, so we always invest in training, updating knowledge and technology. The most important thing is to maintain the heart and emotion in the service - something that AI cannot replace. AI is just a tool, but the quality of service, sophistication, and customer experience must still come from people. The company will continue its journey of serving the community, spreading cultural values, and contributing to raising the level of Vietnamese tourism.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/lu-hanh-saigontourist-tu-thuong-hieu-du-lich-nua-the-ky-den-khat-vong-vuon-tam-196250804152101904.htm