Vietnam tourism cannons attention to Indian market

Vietnam, for the first time, has added India into the group of potential visitor-generating markets which the local tourism industry should carry out promotion activities and build products to woo visitors, an official said.
Hoang Thi Diep, deputy director general of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said that VNAT would conduct the first-ever market survey in India at the end of 2011 for market expansion.
“This is a large and potential market which should be approached by now,” she said.
At present, Indian visitors are arriving in large numbers in neighboring countries like Thailand or Singapore. However, the number of Indian tourists to Vietnam was still scanty, mainly under MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) tourism instead of pure travel, and the number of tourist companies to explore this market was trivial.
Indian tourist source is quite good but hard to exploit as such travelers know little about Vietnam. Moreover, high tour fee and lack of direct flights make it inconvenient for them to visit Vietnam as tourists have to transit in Singapore or Bangkok of Thailand, said the director of a HCMC-based travel firm.
“Therefore, direct flights are needed so as to develop the market, especially to lure travelers,” he said.
Doan Thi Thanh Tra, head of the Marketing Department of Saigontourist Travel Services, said that the Indian tourist market was harder to exploit than other markets. The company explored the market and received some Indian tourists, mainly business visitors but the amount grew sluggishly.
“There are a great number of problems related to tour prices, flight routes, and food as well. It is very hard to find Indian restaurants in Vietnam and most of Indian tourists cannot eat Vietnamese food as other ones,” she added.
Diep of VNAT said “the tourism industry took many issues into consideration before adding India into its potential market groups.”
“There was so much work to be settled such as the lack of Indian restaurants. But first of all, the industry has to do some surveys on tourists’ need to prepare services and marketing,” she explained.
In addition to India, the industry’s major markets also include Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America.