Vietnam will mull over building more big shopping centers to entice foreign tourists to stay longer, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Pham Tu has told State media.
According to Tu, what Vietnam needs to do first is to map out new and favorable policies to help tour organizers reduce tour prices however in natural and healthy ways; and to develop tourism and entertainment complexes as well as diversify services to lure tourist to stay longer and to spend more.
Particularly, great attention will be paid to big shopping center chains, which should join hands with travel firms to build shopping tours.
Tax incentives will be granted to shopping tourists, Tu said.
In addition, hotels, transportation, services, and tourism companies will also enjoy preferential treatment regarding electricity prices, tax and other ticket prices to lower package prices.
Currently, Vietnam’s destinations, even key attraction like Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Hue, Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho greatly lack big shopping centers like those in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, which are one of the top choices for tourists and help boost the rapid increasing influx to the regional nations.
Moreover, it is difficult for international arrivals to Vietnam to relax, tour operators said, explaining that limited entertainment services, poor leisure facilities and a serious lack of well-equipped and big amusement centers in Vietnam are making the number of returning travelers hover at only around 25 per cent.
“The fact that some 75 per cent of arrivals never coming back is really alarming that forces the local tourism authority to rack its brain,” an international tourism expert said.
According to local statistics, the communist nation welcomed 3.34 million foreign tourists and 15 million domestic tourists in 2005, up 7.6 per cent and 18.4 per cent on-year respectively, earning revenue of VND30 trillion (US$1.91 billion), up 14 per cent against the last year.
In 2006, Vietnam expects to cater 3.6-3.8 million foreign tourists and 16.7 million domestic vacationers with total revenue of VND36 trillion (US$2.28 billion).
Capital Security
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