Tourism takes on new significance in Vietnam
Setting targets can be a tricky business, especially in the fickle tourism
industry. In the mid-1990s, Vietnam predicted the number of visitors to
its shores in 2000 would top 4 million.
In fact, just over half that number - 2,140,100 - showed up, although this
represented a 17 percent increase from the 1,781,754 of 1999. The
Asian economic crisis, of course, knocked the bottom out of regional
travel, except for Thailand, where arrivals rose. Nevertheless, it is just
such unforeseen occurences that make forecasting, at best, an inexact
science.
Undeterred, though, Vietnamese tourism officials have set themselves
some more goals: 2.5 million tourists by the end of 2001, with revenue of
US$1 billion, rising to 3-4 million per year by 2005 and 6-7 million by
2010, with projected earnings of $2 billion-$3 billion.
Unlike previously, though, the predictions are being backed by positive
action, with the government for the first time committing to "gradually
taking tourist shopping as an important budget revenue".
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), which
oversees tourism in the country, has launched a long-term campaign
under the heading "Vietnam - a destination for the new millennium" and
formulated an action program to "step by step make our country a
high-level tourism and trade-service center in the region".
To back the drive, the government has set up a tourism steering board
under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam.
The board includes representatives from a number of ministries and
organizations, and will help the industry achieve its goals.
An important part of this is to more actively promote Vietnam abroad, as
this is recognized as being a weak point in the past. The VNAT has
signed bilateral cooperation agreements with 15 countries at the
government level and has established cooperative relations with more
than 1,000 partners from 50 countries and territories around the world.
At present, the VNAT is awaiting final approval from the government to
open representative offices in China, Japan, Thailand and France.
The choice of these countries is no accident. Chinese comprise the
largest number of visitors to the country (626,476 in 2000) and Vietnam
has been officially listed by Chinese authorities as one of 15 destinations
to which Chinese package tourists can visit. Chinese citizens are also
allowed to use tourist cards to visit the capital city of Hanoi, rather than
full passports.
The Japanese, while not the largest group of visitors (152,755 in 2000)
are an important target as there is significant room for growth, and they
are traditionally big spenders. Further, Japan is the third biggest foreign
direct investor in Vietnam, with 301 projects totalling $3.8 billion, so
there are already strong ties between the countries. Further, Japan is the
tourist sector's biggest investor, with 20 hotel projects with a combined
capital of $434 million. This is out of a total of $3.5 billion that has been
invested in the tourist sector by foreigners. Vietnam now has an
oversupply of accommodation - in 1999 it had 63,580 rooms, with an
occupancy of 45 percent.
Thailand, while only supplying 26,366 visitors in 2000, is an important
strategic partner. It has a well-developed tourist industry and is the most
popular destination among the 10 Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (Asean) countries, with 9.5 million arrivals in 2000. The VNAT
has signed a visa-exemption agreement with Thailand (and the
Philippines) which allows its citizens to visit Vietnam for 30 days without
having to apply for an entry visa.
France is viewed as a gateway to Europe and is a logical choice as the
former colonial rulers of Vietnam. In 2000, 86,492 French citizens
visited Vietnam, so there is plenty of room for growth. The VNAT is also
stepping up its promotional activities in the key markets of the United
States, Britain and Germany.
Vietnam is an active member of the World Tourism Organization, the
Pacific-Asian Travel Association, the Greater Mekong Sub-region and
the Visit Asean Campaign, which was launched in January of this year.
All of these bodies help foster the systematic development of the tourism
industry and services and aid it in diversifying and enhancing the quality of
tourism products. About 150,000 people now work for the industry and
300,000 others benefit from its development by making and selling
souvenirs or other services.
On the negative side, all tourist development "has to be in line with state
security and public safety as well as the Communist Party's and the
state's foreign policy propaganda". This has in the past served to cause
delays in the implementation of initiatives, and in restricting the free
movement of tourists around the country.
New initiatives
* The visa fee for tourists arriving in groups at sea ports has been
dropped from $25 to $10.
* Foreign visitors now benefit from a single-price policy for entry to
beauty spots and the sites of historic and cultural relics. In this regard,
Vietnam is ahead of Thailand, where blatant double pricing continues to
be a sore point.
* Re-opening of a number of international air routes, including flights
from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) in Cambodia,
Tokyo in Japan and Seoul in South Korea, as well as a
Danang-Bangkok connection.
* Restored traditional cultural festivals and specially designed tourism
routes. These include the United Nations Educational and Scientific
Organization-awarded World Heritage Sites route that covers the former
imperial city of Hue in Thua Thien Hue province, and Quang Nam
province's twin attractions, the ancient port town of Hoi An and the
former Champa capital of Myson. Hoi An attracts one third of the
country's international tourists and has contributed greatly to Quang Ninh
province's 37 percent yearly growth in tourism since 1990.
By Fred Thurlow - Asia Times - March 7, 2001.
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