Vietnam pays for tourism spot on CNN

      Vietnam will again sign an agreement with international television channel Cable News Network or CNN to air an advertisement promoting the country’s tourist attractions, a tourism official said.
The deal, which is expected to be signed this September, is the second campaign to run on CNN’s Asia Channel and will promote World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay and other tourist hotspots dotting the country.
Nguyen Van Tinh, head of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism told The Saigon Times Daily on Monday, the details of the two-month campaign had been ironed out.
“We have finished the discussion about the cost and the content for the program and are waiting for approval on the budget from the Ministry of Finance,” Tinh said.
“The two sides can ink the deal this September if the ministry agrees on the budget,” he said.
The campaign will cost the Vietnamese taxpayer US$250,000.
In late 2007, a 30-second tourism advertisement hit the airwaves for the first time on CNN network. That was also a government-backed campaign worth $290,000.
The ad, broadcast on CNN Asia over three consecutive months, depicted scenes from Ha Long Bay, Ho Chi Minh City, UNESCO-listed Hoi An Town and the former imperial city of Hue.
Tinh said his department is also looking at broadcasting on other international networks.
The department will also team up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote tourism in the U.S. on the occasion of Vietnam Day in California during the fourth quarter.
Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung, announced early this year that the government will spend VND25 billion ($1.4 million) on promoting tourism in 2009.
Vietnam welcomed 1.89 million international arrivals in the first half of this year, down 19 percent year-on-year while domestic travel in the period saw more than 11.7 million tourists, up 13 percent from the first half of 2009.
Tourism revenue in the period totaled VND32.4 trillion ($1.89 billion), an increase of 8.7 percent from the same period last year.