Health tourism sector is promoting in Vietnam

Although health tours are still new to Vietnam, the health tourism industry adds another dimension to Viet Nam’s wide range of attractions, promising more profits for the tourist sector.
Vietnam, with its temperate climate, has an abundance of natural resources to provide natural health remedies to the health tourism industry, particularly seaside resorts, hot springs and mineral springs.
According to travel companies, an increasing number of people are combining tourism with the advantages of natural medicine. In 2007, naturopathy tourism earned Asian countries 1.6 billion USD. This figure is predicted to triple by 2012, and the industry can bring benefits to a number of countries, including Vietnam.
Taking the lead in developing the health tourism sector since 2006, the Vietnam National Institute and Hospital of Acupuncture has worked alongside travel companies to implement a program on combining traveling with acupuncture.
Director of the program, Professor Nguyen Tai Thu, well-known in health care circles, said that thousands of people have taken part in the program so far.
He said, "We decided to work with the tour companies to help the world to better understand our traditional medicines, particularly acupuncture and acupressure. We hope to introduce people to our traditional health practices."
The health ministry hopes to combine the best of the national health service with domestic tourism to benefit all who are involved, he added.
With the chance to enjoy both the beauty of Viet Nam and its most skilled pain-relief specialists, tourists who wish to can participate in acupuncture and acupressure sessions and learn how to gain drug-free relief from pain.
Some of Viet Nam’s most popular tourist sites offer added health benefits; the Thap Ba Hot Springs in the central coastal city of Nha Trang, the Kim Boi Mineral Waters in the north-western province of Hoa Binh and the Vietnam National Institute and Hospital of Acupuncture Vietnam National Institute and Hospital of Acupuncture are all places where visitors can enjoy traditional therapies.
The Vung Tau Medicoast in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and Hoan My Da Lat hospital in Da Lat provide health tourism makers with high-quality medical services, similar to other institutions in regional countries.
"In addition to being relaxing and stimulating the nervous system, the hot spring water and mineral mud can cure skin diseases and make the skin white and soft," said a visitor to Thap Ba Hot Springs
The director of the Thap Ba Hot Spring Centre, Hoang Quang, said that, despite the fact that natural medicinal tourism is new to the country, his centre welcomed about 400,000 travellers in 2008, an increase of 5 per cent against the previous year.
"Many people, particularly those with skin ailments or high levels of stress, are cured after enjoying health tourism at the Thap Ba site," says Quang.
A 30km drive from the town of Hoa Binh will lead visitors to the Kim Boi guest-house which is located close to a large mineral pool and the sound of rushing water can be heard while sitting inside. Scientific tests have revealed that the mineral water at Kim Boi, which is a constant 36 degrees Celsius, is suitable for drinking, bathing and for the treatment of rheumatism, intestinal diseases, stomach-aches and high blood pressure.
Dinh Thi Phien, Director of the Hoa Binh Traditional Herbal Company, said that the company has added to the Kim Boi site, opening a new centre for relaxation in Phong Thu Commune, Cao Phong District.
"We preserve more than 200 rare traditional herbs from ethnic groups, a valuable herbal treatment resource," says Phien, adding that, for travellers who are interested in the herbal treatment, the centre offers acupuncture, pressure point massage and herbal baths. Prices range from VND200,000-300,000 per person per day, she added.
In the context of the current global economic crisis, an increasing number of foreigners are arriving in Vietnam to embark on health tours, as the country is known worldwide for its traditional herbal medicine, and the Vietnam National Institute and Hospital of Acupuncture is internationally recognised and more affordable than similar institutions in countries such as Thailand and Singapore.
Vietnam’s tourism sector is anticipating an average of 7-8 million foreign visitors per year for the next 10 years, but is still struggling to create an image which will add to those figures.
One solution is to enhance advertising in key markets and give priority to building a brand name for its national tourism industry, said Binh.
Yip Hoong-mun, deputy managing director of CapitaLand Vietnam Holdings, said that Vietnam has the potential to develop its tourism industry, but is still a ‘hidden charm’, adding that it is now time for the nation to develop strategies to spotlight Vietnam within the international community.
Industry experts said that Viet Nam is in need of a clear message to convey its attractions to potential tourists.
The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT)’s development strategy aims to turn the country into one of the world’s top destinations by 2010.
Tran Chien Thang, deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says that the sector plans to advertise Vietnam on international television networks, as well as in newspapers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.
Despite these efforts, the sector has yet to identify strategic tourism products in its advertising campaigns, said VNAT officers. The cultural and eco-tourism aspects of the advertising campaign, which are considered Vietnam’s strengths, have appeared vague and are not memorable to visitors.
Even if they are successful in attracting visitors, travel companies will still be hard-pressed to meet visitors’ demands if the infrastructure is not improved.
Although Vietnam’s tourism sector has some kinks to work out, the country still expects to lure around 6 million foreign visitors during 2010, according to statistics released by the Tourism Association.