VNAT to work toward professionalism in promotions

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is planning to engage professional event companies in its promotion programs in major foreign markets this year to make sure they will succeed.
Nguyen Van Tuan, head of VNAT, said the administration had earlier held tourism promotion events in so many markets, so their efficacy had not been fully achieved due to sparse funding.
VNAT will engage advertising and event management companies in its forthcoming programs to warrant professionalism and success, he said. “Professionalism is a new priority for us. Outsourcing to professional event companies will help us successfully implement the plan.”
The country’s tourism authority is trying to woo visitors from ASEAN countries, Japan, China, North America, and Northern and Western Europe.
VNAT has in the year to date put up bids for organizing events in regional countries like Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia as part of a program to promote the image of the country’s tourism between February 28 and March 6.
The department has also invited tenders for design of national booths at ITB Berlin 2010 from March 10 to 14 in Germany, and the Moscow International Travel and Exhibition 2010 in Russia from March 17 to 20. Major travel buyers have also been invited to visit these booths to gain an insight into Vietnamese tourism products on offer.
VNAT has outsourced a publicity program on China’s TV channels to promote Vietnam’s tourism images to Chinese tourists this year.
Tuan said VNAT had asked some big tourism companies to join hands with it in organizing promotion events abroad. It is seeking cooperation with neighboring countries in marketing activities.
“We’ve asked such companies to provide support and preside over some events. We will set aside finances for these events,” he said.
The administration will have at least VND40 billion to organize tourism promotion activities at home and abroad this year.
According to VNAT, around 416,000 foreign visitors toured the country last month, up 20.4% year-on-year. Travelers from China numbered a staggering 59,400, up nearly 95% year-on-year.
“It’s an encouraging result. We expect to receive around 4.2 million foreign visitors but the actual number might be higher if the tourism sector can maintain the current pace of foreign arrivals,” Tuan said.
The country attracted around 3.8 million foreign tourists last year, down nearly 11% from 2008, due largely to the impact of the global recession.
* Saigontourist Travel Service Co. received around 800 passengers on February 8 and crew members on board the British cruise ship Spirit of Adventure at HCMC’s Saigon Port.
Saigontourist said the passengers were taking tours to explore HCMC and My Tho City of neighboring Tien Giang Province and that for the first time the Spirit of Adventure had arrived in Vietnam.
The vessel will leave for the central coast city of Nha Trang this afternoon, and Kota Kinabalu port of Malaysia today, February 10.
The Spirit of Adventure is one of the two new international cruise ships that have taken international tourists to Vietnam through the arrangement of Saigontourist this year.
Saigontourist said it had made arrangements for over 8,000 international cruise passengers to visit Vietnam since the beginning of the year.