Good omen for tourism market in 2010

November 2009 showed a record number of international arrivals to Vietnam, boding well for Vietnam’s tourism sector in 2010. Nguyen Van Tuan, Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism talked to the media on the sidelines of a recent seminar on a strategy for Vietnam’s tourism development until 2010 and a vision towards 2030.
Reporter: Could you tell us what is the cause of the sharp increase in the number of international tourists to Vietnam last month?
Mr Tuan: Last month, the number of international arrivals to Vietnam reached more than 387,000, up 70.2 percent over October and 38.6 percent compared to the same period last year. It is predicted that Vietnam will welcome roughly 400,000 foreign tourists in December. This means that the number of international tourists in 2009 dropped by just 10 percent compared to 2008’s figure.
According to the VNAT, many tourist sites and up-market hotels have reached a high occupation rate, giving promising signs for the tourism sector in 2010.
The strong increase in the number of international tourists to Vietnam is due to the recovery of the world economy and the efficiency of tourism promotion campaigns. Never before has the tourism sector carried out roadshow programmes for tourism promotion as effectively as it has done in recent times.
Reporter: With signs of economic stabilsation, has the tourism sector given a specific figure for the target of international tourists in 2010?
Mr Tuan: No official announcement about that has been made but we offer two scenarios: First, if there is no fluctuation and the current situation is maintained, the tourism sector will be able to attract 4.2-4.25 million international tourists in 2010, equivalent to 2008. Second, with the strong economic recovery and more effective advertisement and promotion activities, the figure is likely to hit 4.5 million or go up by 15-20 percent.
Reporter: In the future, which measures will the tourism sector continue to take to attract more foreign visitors?
Mr Tuan: The Vietnam Administration of Tourism will continue to boost its marketing strategy, focusing on potential markets such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Northern Europe and North America.
In the near future, we are going to launch three big promotions to boost tourism promotion: a programme to organize trans-national tours through ASEAN member countries namely Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia; a programme to organize trans-national tours through Taipei, Gaohong and Taizhong in Taiwan (China) and the largest-ever promotion in France in mid-December 2009.
Reporter: How did the programme “Vietnam Impression” contribute to increasing the number of tourists?
Mr Tuan: This year’s event aimed to promote the domestic tourism market, resulting in a rising number of local visitors. Last year, the number of local tourists was 20.8 million, while this year’s figure is expected to reach 25 million. The number of foreign arrivals rose by 10 percent, while the number of local tourists increased by 15-17 percent. As a result, the tourism sector’s revenue in 2009 may be 8-10 percent higher than last year’s figure. Obviously, the successful operation of the domestic tourism market has helped the country retain stable growth despite a slight decrease in the number of foreign tourists.
Reporter: Could you elaborate on the tourism sector’s future plans?
Mr Tuan: This year, the tourism sector will submit three major projects to the Government for approval. They include the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy from 2010 to 2020 with a vision to 2030, the project for developing tourism in island and coastal areas, and the project to develop tourism in border areas next to Laos and Cambodia. Furthermore, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports will also approve a project on developing tourism in the Mekong Delta region. In 2010, we will give priority to implementing and finalizing the next steps of these projects and conduct further research to adjust the tourism development strategy for 2010-2020.
Top priority will be given to promotion campaigns both inside and outside the country. More investment will be poured into the campaigns with professional organisation and capable staff.
We will also pay due attention to celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi in combination with National Tourism Year and activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the tourism sector.
Reporter: Thank you.