The Asia - Pacific region is becoming a dynamic economic environment of the world. The burgeoning tourism is attracting flows of tourists from inside and outside the region. Tourism industries in all countries in the region are gasping every opportunity to improve the image of the nation in general and of destinations in particular. Appeal, dynamism, investment for products/services, promotion, destination access and marketing are challenges for Vietnam’s tourism sector. Vietnam Business Forum Magazine has an interview with Mr Nguyen Van Tuan, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), on the issue. Thanh Nga reports.
What should Vietnam do to improve the efficiency of tourism marketing?
Based on the Vietnam tourism marketing strategy in the 2015 - 2020 period, we need to take drastic actions to meet new development requirements and tap potential to enhance our competitiveness in the region and in the world. We need specific roadmaps based on the strategy to address our weaknesses in the past time and create breakthroughs in this phase. Thus far, the tourism sector of Vietnam has gradually asserted its position as an important economic sector as it helps drive economic growth, reduce poverty, ensure social security, protect and promote cultural values, protect the environment, and maintain national security.
How is tourism branding and marketing in Vietnam?
The Vietnam tourism marketing and brand recognition strategy has been created and popularised. Vietnam has organised and attended many international tourism promotion and advertisement programmes and exhibitions like Travex, JATA, ITB Asia, CITM, ITF, WTM, MITT; organised tourism promotion programmes in the UK, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia and Japan; and organised many fam-trips for travel agents and press agencies from potential markets.
National Action Programmes and National Promotion Programmes for Tourism have been deployed to introduce tourism products, advertise tourism, perform market surveys and improve the quality of tourism workers and officials. Many 4-5-star luxury hotels have been built and put into service, like Muong Thanh hotel chain, Vinpearl Phu Quoc, Keangnam and InterContinental, thus giving a new facelift for the tourism sector of Vietnam.
Many travel companies, resorts and tourist destinations in Vietnam have been granted prestigious awards by tourism agencies and tourism news agencies in the world and in the ASEAN region. The US-based Forbes Magazine voted Vietnam the third among the 10 most attractive destinations in world in 2015. InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Danang City was awarded the world’s most luxury resort by World Travel Awards. Vietravel also won two titles of Vietnam's Leading Travel Agency.
Besides, the tourism environment in many localities is markedly improved after more than a year of carrying out the Prime Minister’s of Directive 18/CT-TTg on strengthening tourism environmental management and tourist security.
How have domestic and international media affected destination branding in Vietnam?
Needless to say, media play an extremely important role in promoting tourism in any country in the world. The development of Vietnamese tourism industry is always accompanied and supported by domestic and international media and press agencies. Recently, both domestic and international media repeatedly broadcast attractive tourist destinations in Vietnam such as Ha Long Bay, Quang Binh cave system, Son Doong Cave. Phu Quoc Island, Son Tra Peninsula, the time-honoured beauty of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An, picturesque landscapes and seascapes, and wild and splendid beauty of the Northwest. Therefore, media coverage has created positive effects on the current development of Vietnamese tourism industry.
The Vietnamese tourism sector has carried out the tourism marketing strategy in the 2015 - 2020 period with the aim of building and popularising Vietnamese tourism brands with distinctive values and products of high quality and competitiveness; positioned Vietnam as a unique charming tourist destination in Southeast Asia based on core brand values and unique tourism products such as heritage tourism, maritime tourism and ecological tourism; chosen some markets to boost advertising. Vietnam targets to encourage tourists to spend more and stay longer in Vietnam and return to Vietnam in the future after they leave. The sector has also tried to increase the market share in target markets.
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