In a seminar themed “Developing tourism in Central Coastal areas” held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on November 14th, many solutions were proposed to solve difficulties and help develop tourism in Central Coastal Vietnam.
Highly appreciating the potential of Coastal Central tourism, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said that the strip of land from Thua Thien Hue to Binh Thuan has a specific position in Vietnam’s tourism map thanks to marine tourism resources, world cultural heritages and its ecological and environmental diversity. However, is recent years, the area’s tourism development has not matched its potential. Out of seven provinces in the region, only Da Nang has managed to promote its tourism advantages, but it still has not made a strong, specific impression yet; its tourism products are still have no breakthrough.
Explaining for the limited development of the Central Coastal region, most travel companies have agreed that inter-province connections are vital for tourism development. However, the Central Coastal region has failed to establish good connections.
Mr Phan Duc Man, Director of Kim Lien Tourism Company, emphasized that provinces are currently operating individually, independently advertising and promoting tourism. Long term and stable development is created by unity, with strong cooperation in advertising and promotion domestically and worldwide.
Ms Nguyen Thi Minh Thu, General Director of Mekong International Tourism Company said that despite the huge advantages of marine resources, heritages and traditional craft villages, the Coastal Central region has not possessed a brand for regional tourism. Tourism quality is not given prominence; instead the number of tourists is closely followed, regardless of whether tourism service quality meets tourist’s needs.
In addition, infrastructure remains a big problem. Mr Nguyen Ba Thanh, Da Nang Party Secretary and Chief Coordinator for Coastal Central tourism development, said that the current infrastructure has many limitations and is not meeting development requirements.
To help Coastal Central tourism take off, according to Mr Tran Du Lich, Head of consultative group on Coastal Central development, all coastal central provinces must clearly define the strong points and outstanding destinations of this region to promote them effectively.
Secondly, coastal central provinces should concentrate on investing in key tourism products to emphasize them; attracting attention and getting connected to specific priority markets. Each province should invest in a specific and distinct product, avoiding duplication.
In addition, coastal central provinces should determine how to promote tourism effectively, attract the right market of increasing quality and quantity, and at the same time create a connection mechanism to develop strong points and avoid unfair competition.
Besides, enterprises also have more policies prioritizing tourism sectors, including a focus on human resource development, building infrastructure, roads, and rest stops for tourists.
Giang Tu
Vietnamese
