Tourism industry needs action plan

The comments were made at a meeting held by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (DoCST) last Friday.
However, answers to the problems are difficult to come by.
La Quoc Khanh, the deputy director of the department, said that the tourism industry is already feeling the effects of the global economic downturn as the number of international visitors totalled 2.8 million, only meeting 93 per cent of the target set last year.
Analysts said there were several factors that decided the success or failure of a tourist’s trip, including the convenience of air traffic and the availability of accommodation, entertainment facilities and public services.
Tao Van Nghe, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Association and general director of the five-star Majestic Hotel, said that since the second quarter of last year, the occupancy at many hotels has fallen 40-50 per cent although hotel and tourism services now enjoy a 50 per cent value added tax (VAT) reduction.
The department added that the price of a hotel room in HCM City was more expensive than in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, leading to a decrease in international arrivals.
For example, 40 Japanese tourism companies complained that the number of Japanese travellers to HCM City has fallen by 7 per cent compared with the previous year due to the high price of hotel rooms.
A comprehensive plan
Khanh said that the relevant departments, travel services, including hotels, restaurants, airlines and tourist companies should join together and offer promotions and competitive prices to stimulate the tourism market.
In addition, Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy chairwoman of the city People’s Committee suggested that the department conduct a survey on international arrivals and the quality of services to visitors such as hotels, transport businesses and tourist companies.
Accordingly, she added, the city’s tourism industry would adjust the price in a reasonable way and provide special treatment to international visitors aiming to increase the competitiveness with neighboring countries.
Experts said that hotel construction also needs to speed up. When the economy recovers, people will start travelling again and the city should prepare enough room for opportunities.
Furthermore, the City should build more trade centers to meet the shopping demands of foreign visitors. This is one of the tourism products which greatly helps the local tourism industry.
Also in February, DoCST launched a tourism programme titled Thanh pho Ho Chi Minh-100 dieu thu vi (HCM City-100 interests).
Relevant agencies will select 100 prestigious businesses in tourism including hotels, travel agencies, transport, and restaurants. The names of the chosen businesses will be broadcast on the media as a reliable tourist service for foreign visitors.