Binh Duong Province Propping up Tourism Development

      Despite negative effects of the global economic crisis to the tourism sector in Vietnam in general, the southern province of Binh Duong’s tourism revenue still increased in the first six months of this year. Travel companies have been continuing to invest in and accomplish services to satisfy tourists’ demand. The provincial tourism sector will continuously collaborate with travel companies in a campaign to attract visitors to Binh Duong province.
The global economic crisis has partially affected business operations of the provincial tourism sector. The number of visitors fell in the first months of this year and then gradually rose but is still smaller than that of last year. However, the provincial tourism sector had witnessed a series of busting events in the first six months of this year including the Solar New Year, the Lunar New Year, celebrations of national holidays, and operations of Lac Canh, Dai Nam, and Van Hien Tourism Areas. The increase of 125 percent in the tourism revenue in the first half compared to the same period last year is attributed to the rising revenues of the Lac Canh, Dai Nam, and Van Hien Tourism Areas. The provincial Tourism Department has also launched emulation among tourism units as a response to the government’s tourism demand stimulus package. They have invested in the second phase of the Lac Canh, Dai Nam and Van Hien Tourism Areas to build many attractive and unique works of the world miniature, Vietnam miniature and scientific cinema while Tuan Vu Private Enterprise has been speeding up completion of remaining works of Tuan Vu II Hotel to be operated in the third quarter of 2009.
Improving product quality
Experienced and stable tourism units in Binh Duong including Phuong Nam Resort, Din Ky Vinh Phu, Binh Nham-Branched Dinh Ly and Saigon Tourism Village have been continuously pouring more capital into improving service quality by diversifying types of tourism to meet tourists’ demand. Thanh Le Limited Company is also doing technical design of the MC Binh Duong Plaza and preparations have been undertaken to start construction of two projects of building a hotel in Di An district and Nguyen Anh Vu Hotel in Chanh Nghia ward by Bac Kim MTV Limited Company, which have been approved in principle by the provincial government. However, the global economic decline has also slowed down schedules of some works including Mat Xanh Eco-Tourism Area, the wholly foreign invested Mekong Golf & Villas Eco-Tourism Area, Han Tam Dang Eco-Tourism Area, and Thuyen Quang Lake Resort by Trung Quy Limited Company.
Intensifying promotion
Generally, business operations by provincial travel companies are of small and medium sizes. These units have not yet collaborated with neighbouring provinces in visitor admittance and transfer from Binh Duong, which has resulted in inbound travel trading focus and the current scattered and inefficient operations by travel units.
Mr Le Phan Thuan, Deputy Director of Binh Duong province’s Department of Tourism, Sports and Culture said to deal with the aforementioned shortcomings, the sector has mapped out policies on tourism development for travel companies in a bid to protect their legal interests as well as facilitate their stable development. In addition, the sector focuses on the implementation of promotion and advertisement activities via mass media on attractive tourism destinations in Binh Duong and making leaflets on nationally and provincially recognised historic relics and beauty spots to introduce to internal and external visitors. In the near term, the department will hold a seminar for provincial and outside travel companies as well as study some destinations in Binh Duong while coordinating with the Binh Duong Tourism, Art and Culture Intermediate School to organise a training course on small and medium-sized hotel management professional for hotel directors and managers in the province in accordance with the Circular No. 88/2008/TT-BVHTTDL dated on December 30, 2008 by the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and Culture. Hopefully, these efforts to support provincial travel companies in their management will help them overcome difficulties and efficiently operate.