Changing the structure of the international tourist market to Quang Nam - Final article: The problem of sustainable destinations

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, up to 90% of Sabirama restaurant's customers were European and American, but now this ratio has reversed, forcing the establishment to gradually change its products to adapt. Photo: QUOC TUAN

Adapt, don't "choose" customers

Before 2019, about 90% of the customers of Sabirama restaurant (Cam Thanh commune, Hoi An city) were European and American guests, the remaining few were Hong Kong and Singaporean guests. However, the restaurant's customer structure has changed significantly in the past 5 years. In 2024, Sabirama restaurant will only welcome a few hundred European guests (accounting for 10-20% of the total number of guests).

Mr. Truong Van Quy - owner of Sabirama restaurant said that the initial target market when Sabirama was established was European and American customers because the main product was cooking class tours, but due to the changing customer market, the unit was forced to accept gradually changing products and functions to adapt.

“European customers tend to like experiences, so they often choose cooking class tours and coconut forest exploration . On the contrary, most Asian customers like to go to the coconut forest and eat. We have to understand the preferences and characteristics of each type of Asian customer to have suitable products to offer. For example, for Korean, Taiwanese, and ASEAN customers, we can incorporate a coffee making tour; and for West Asian customers, we have to research and change the menu…” - Mr. Quy said.

It is known that Quang Nam province's viewpoint on international tourist market orientation is to attract diverse tourist markets with the purpose of experiencing culture, relaxation, high spending ability, and long-term stay.

In particular, continue to attract visitors from traditional markets such as Europe (UK, France, Germany...), Oceania, North America (USA, Canada) and ASEAN markets (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore...).

At the same time, maintain the number of visitors from Northeast Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, etc.). In addition, actively expand new markets and potential markets such as India, the Middle East, etc.

img_5084(1).jpeg — Quang Nam determines to balance between tourist markets, not to be too dependent on any particular market or region. In the photo: Quang Nam tourism leaders welcome international visitors arriving by rail at Tra Kieu station. Photo: QUOC TUAN

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, regarding the strategy of promoting and attracting international tourist markets, the Quang Nam tourism industry determines that it must maintain a balance between tourist markets, not be too dependent on a particular market or region, in order to minimize risks when there are fluctuations (such as epidemics, economic instability, etc.).

“Although the proportion of Asian visitors, especially South Korea and Taiwan (China), is increasing rapidly and has always been among the leading markets for international visitors staying in Quang Nam in recent years, Quang Nam still identifies European - American - Australian visitors as traditional groups.

Because this group of guests tends to stay long, spend a lot of money and love to experience local culture - very suitable for the strengths of heritage, culture of Hoi An, My Son and community tourism, ecology of Quang Nam" - Mr. Hong shared.

Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh - Chairman of Quang Nam Tourism Association said: "Once the tourism industry has surveyed the spending and specific tastes of the tourist markets, there will be a basis for developing suitable and specialized products. If we just talk in general terms about developing new products like before, it will be very difficult, because the structure of international visitors to Quang Nam is currently very diverse."

What is the solution to compromise?

Positive signals from the beginning of 2025 until now, the number of European visitors to Quang Nam has shown signs of strong growth. The most important reason is that the visa policy is much more open when there are 14 European countries on the visa exemption list. For example, at My Son Temple Complex, the number of international visitors visiting each day has increased from about 1,000 to 1,700 in the past few months.

Currently, in Cam Thanh coconut forest, Hoi An city authorities have divided 13 routes with wharves and docking points managed by the State and clearly divided according to the tastes of customers. Photo: QUOC TUAN

Recently, Quang Nam has announced the Hoi An - My Son - Dong Giang Heaven Gate tourism corridor and operated a bus route along this corridor. This is expected to help raise the level of the province's heritage tourism route, while reducing the density of visitors to Hoi An Ancient Town.

Recently, tourism enterprises have also proposed to announce another tourism corridor along the eastern coastal road connecting Hoi An - Nam Hoi An - Tam Ky - Chu Lai to create a breakthrough in promoting and investing in tourism on this route. If investing in attractive and systematic products and services, these two corridors will concretize the orientation of expanding tourism development to the west and south of the province, minimizing the current imbalance in the excessive density of tourism in Quang Nam.

According to the representative of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board, to enhance the experience for visitors, My Son has included Cham brocade weaving and Bai Choi singing on Saturdays and Sundays...

In the coming time, we will develop more mountain bike products for visitors who like to explore and visit more historical sites (such as traces of Tien Well, field hospital during the anti-American war, etc.). After the restoration of areas E and F, the unit will re-organize the product "Legendary My Son Night" to suit the budget and needs of visitors.

In Hoi An, in early 2025, the City People's Committee approved a plan to arrange and develop a new sightseeing route at the Bay Mau Coconut Forest Historical and Cultural Relic Site in Cam Thanh Commune. Of which, 13 routes are distributed with wharves and vehicle docking points managed by the State and clearly divided according to the tastes of visitors.

For guests who like the hustle and bustle, there will be 7 routes in the central area of the coconut forest. There are 6 routes serving guests who like the quiet in other core areas. In addition, the city has arranged 2 routes to serve guests who want to learn about the values of the buffer zone of the Cam Thanh Biosphere Reserve and bamboo and coconut craft village, and 2 routes to serve guests who like the quiet in other areas outside the core area.

Hoi An is developing a green tour route at other destinations such as Cu Lao Cham, Tra Que vegetable village, Thanh Ha pottery village to harmoniously exploit natural and cultural values as well as increase the quality of experience for tourists in need.

According to the leader of Hoi An City, in the long term, the local government will encourage travel agencies to reduce nighttime visiting hours and increase morning visiting hours.

Tourism businesses recommend considering different prices for tickets to visit Hoi An Ancient Town and applying the highest price for peak hours, when there are too many tourists, so that tourists have to consider switching. Photo: QUOC TUAN

According to Mr. Nguyen Son Thuy - Director of Duy Nhat Dong Duong Tourism Service Company Limited, the overload of Hoi An ancient town is a long-standing reality and is inevitable because Hoi An's international appeal is too great, not due to the rapid growth of any tourist stream. European, Asian or any other tourist market coming to Hoi An also has the need to visit the ancient town, so the problem is to have a methodical way to manage the destination.

Mr. Thuy said that for Hoi An ancient town, there should be a solution to regulate visitors soon, including considering building different prices for entrance tickets and applying the highest price for peak hours, when there are too many tourists so that visitors have to consider switching.

In addition, it is also necessary to study the application of fees for tourism-related transport during rush hours for routes around the old town similar to the issue of entrance tickets.

“We need to refer to the application of the most advanced technologies to manage tourism. In fact, with a space scale like Hoi An, it is not too large, very suitable to apply control measures using modern technology. We can do it, the problem is to do it thoroughly, propose solutions for difficult areas, and cannot hesitate forever because this mechanism or that regulation does not allow implementation” - Mr. Thuy recommended.