Viet Nam taps potential of Indian tourism market

India is an important source market of international tourism industry with the population of 1.27 billion people of which 1.2% travelled abroad and spent USD 12.3 billion in 2012.
According to the UNWTO, the number of Indian outbound tourists will increase to 50 million arrivals by 2020 and total outbound spending will achieve USD 91.2 billion in 2030.
Viet Nam is an attractive destination for Indian tourists who favour friendly people, safe and secure environment, various fascinating destinations and especially sea tourism, spiritual destinations, renowned heritage sites and culture of Viet Nam. In the past five years, the number of Indian tourists to Viet Nam increased by 344%, from 16,000 arrivals in 2010 to nearly 55,000 arrivals in 2014.
To fully tap this potential market, Viet Nam tourism has implemented many promotional activities in Indian market. By 2014, Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has completed research on 15 source markets, including India, aiming at market diversification.
Traditional friendly relations and strategic partnership between Viet Nam and India has become more profound after the Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s official visit to India on October 27 – 28, 2014, which creates favourable conditions for development of bilateral cooperation in various fields, including tourism. To concretize the commitment between the two countries to strengthen tourism cooperation, from March 18 – 25, 2015, VNAT’s delegation led by Director General of VNAT Nguyen Van Tuan had a business trip to India and worked with Indian Tourism Ministry. Accordingly, the two sides agreed to strengthen tourism cooperation in the future, including opening direct flights between the two countries; organizing roadshows to promote destinations and welcoming famtrip, presstrip delegations; supporting each other to participate in tourism fairs; creating favourable conditions for investors of the two countries to develop tourism infrastructure; exchanging experience in product development, tourism promotion, etc.
From 23-28 April 2015, VNAT collaborated with Vietnamese Embassy in India to participate in Global Exhibition on Services (GES) in New Delhi and organize roadshows in Hyderabad and Chennai cities to introduce Viet Nam’s tourism. This was a good opportunity for Viet Nam’s localities to introduce tourism potentials, and for tourism businesses, hotels, airlines of the two countries to exchange experiences and strengthen cooperation.
In 2015, VNAT will implement various promotional activities in Indian tourism market: organizing famtrips to India, welcoming a number of Indian famtrips, presstrips and film-producer delegations. VNAT is also expected to participate in PATA Travel Mart in Bangalore and hold roadshow to promote Viet Nam tourism in Mumbai in September 2015.
Hong Nhung