Phan Xuan Anh, President of Viet Excursions, said most cruise tourists liked buying local products. 

He said there are three types of cruise travellers. Those who take short-term tours on small-sized cruise ships like to buy small-sized, durable, easily packaged souvenirs at reasonable prices that would be given to friends or relatives as gifts. 

The second group of tourists book long-term tours (15-20 days) and tend to spend money on high-end branded goods. They would be willing to pay for luxurious clothes, branded handbags and cosmetics.

The third group are seniors aged over 65 who do not much care for shopping and are only likely to buy a few souvenirs.

The director of another travel firm also noted that local businesses were losing an opportunity to sell local specialties to cruise tourists, simply because they did not understand the travellers well.

In many cases, local products remain unsalable because of "very odd reasons", he said. Honey in the Mekong River Delta, Go Den liquor in Long An, or My Tho royal jelly are all high-quality products, but they cannot sell well because they are not packed well, he added.

Vietnamnet