Vietnam Tourism Update - first half of 2009
 Vietnamese hospitality industry is feeling the pinch of the global crisis and H1N1 flu, with the first seven months of 2009, down 18.7% from the same period last year. Only 2.17 million foreigners traveled to the country between January and the end of July, 2009. They included 1.3 million tourists, 400,000 business people and 340,000 coming for family reunions, according to the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism. The agency revealed that the number of foreign visitors from key markets such as mainland China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan fell 12-37% during the period, reported VietNamNet Bridge. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the number of international tourists fell 8 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period of 2008. This institution forecast that the total number of tourists in 2009 will be down four to six percent for all of 2009. However, UNWTO also calculated that after the world economy recovers, world tourism will rise by four or five percent annually to about 1.6 billion in 2020. Of the number, 1.2 billion people will travel in their region and 378 million will buy far-away tours. Compared to Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam’s market share in the world tourism market is higher than only Cambodia and Laos. In 2007, it was 1.8 percent for Vietnam, 2.8% for Indonesia, 7.7% for Malaysia and 8.2% for Thailand, according to UNWTO Barometer 2008 report. The New ’Happy Country’ brand? Vietnam was recently ranked fifth of 143 nations on the ‘Happy Planet’ index calculated by the New Economics Foundation (UK). In an article published in Saigon Businessman Weekend, the publication asked if Vietnam can learn how to build up the brand “happy country” to promote the country’s tourism industry. Vietnam's advantages include its political stability, no terrorism threat or absence of active religious and ethnic conflicts and its image as a “new” destination in the world. The magazine Condé Nast Traveller chose two Asian countries, Sri Lanka (14th) and Vietnam (18th), as two of the its “20 Destinations for 2009.” According to this magazine, though Vietnam is luring more tourists, it still has many interesting things to discover, especially good food and many beautiful beaches. Countries that earn a lot from tourism, like Spain, Greece, Croatia and Thailand, are successful in getting visitors to return by winning a reputation for high quality tourist services. Tourism service quality in Vietnam is far below that of Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. Moreover, Vietnam lacks a good slogan and logo for tourism. Slogans like “The Hidden Charm” or, this year, “Impressive Vietnam” are too vague compared with Malaysia’s “Truly Asia” or Thailand’s “Land of Smiles.” The local tourism industry always complains of limited budget for advertising. However, marketing campaigns on the BBC, CNN or National Geographic are likely to be ineffective until Vietnam can help tourists avoid beggars, touts and overcharging, and supply them with better services. Visitors’ comments are the best or the worst means of advertisement for a travel destination. Other Related articles on our site: |
