Can Vietnam lure more tourists with ’Happy Country’ brand?

Vietnam was recently ranked fifth of 143 nations on the ‘Happy Planet’ index calculated by the New Economics Foundation (UK). In this article, Saigon Businessman Weekend asks if Vietnam can learn how to build up the brand “happy country” to promote the country’s tourism industry.
Smiling Vietnamese
Many foreigners remark that Vietnamese people, both old and young, smile a lot, and most are optimistic though their lives are still difficult.
The famous scholar Nguyen Van Vinh wrote: “An Nam people laugh at everything, both when they are praised or criticised.” This is an advantage for the tourism industry because visitors always want to see friendly and hospitable local residents. Thailand has had great success with the slogan: “The country of smiles”.
Regrettably, many foreigners still Vietnam as a war-devastated and backward country. They think of Vietnamese people as shabby and sad, like the people depicted in Hollywood movies about the Vietnam War. Other foreigners, this time with more accuracy, are apt to observe that ‘the Vietnamese always work very hard.’
It is said that Hannibal Marco Polo, one of the biggest travel companies in North Europe, advertised tours to Vietnam as follows: “Vietnamese smile as much as Thai”.
Vietnam could build and advertise the image of a happy country, where the people are always joyful and optimistic.
“Happy country” and tourism
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the number of international tourists fell 8 percent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period of 2008. This institution forecast that the total number of tourists in 2009 will be down four to six percent for all of 2009.
However, UNWTO also calculated that after the world economy recovers, world tourism will rise by four or five percent annually to about 1.6 billion in 2020. Of the number, 1.2 billion people will travel in their region and 378 million will buy far-away tours.
Compared to Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam’s market share in the world tourism market is higher than only Cambodia and Laos. In 2007, it was 1.8 percent for Vietnam, 2.8% for Indonesia, 7.7% for Malaysia and 8.2% for Thailand, according to UNWTO Barometer 2008 report.
Vietnam needs to prepare for the post-economic crisis period. Its advantages include its political stability, no terrorism threat or absence of active religious and ethnic conflicts and its image as a “new” destination in the world.
The magazine Condé Nast Traveller chose two Asian countries, Sri Lanka (14th) and Vietnam (18th), as two of the its “20 Destinations for 2009.” According to this magazine, though Vietnam is luring more tourists, it still has many interesting things to discover, especially good food and many beautiful beaches.
Countries that earn a lot from tourism, like Spain, Greece, Croatia and Thailand, are successful in getting visitors to return by winning a reputation for high quality tourist services. Tourism service quality in Vietnam is far below that of Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. Moreover, Vietnam lacks a good slogan and logo for tourism. Slogans like “The Hidden Charm” or, this year, “Impressive Vietnam” are too vague compared with Malaysia’s “Truly Asia” or Thailand’s “Land of Smiles.”
The local tourism industry always complains of limited budget for advertising. However, marketing campaigns on the BBC, CNN or National Geographic are likely to be ineffective until Vietnam can help tourists avoid beggars, touts and overcharging, and supply them with better services. Visitors’ comments are the best or the worst means of advertisement for a travel destination.
After a tour to Laos in June 2009, the Danish movie critic Ebbe Iversen gave the best words to praise the mild, simple people and the peaceful life in this country in the Berlingske Tidende Daily. He called Luang Prabang city “the peaceful world for the soul” and said “if anybody wants to become a good person, he/she should go to Laos”. Perhaps this is the best unpaid advertisement for Lao tourism.