VietNamNet Bridge – The announced tour fee reductions of 30-50% to be applied for January-September 2009 on the website of the ‘Impressive Vietnam’ campaign has caused shock to many transport firms and hotels.

Foreign tourists in Vietnam

In fact, the service fee at which Ana Mandara signed with foreign travelers has decreased by up to 30%. For example, the hotel room rate, which was $100/traveler, has reduced to $70. If the resort further slashes, by 30-50% as announced on “Impressive Vietnam,’ the hotel room rate will be $25-30, an unreasonably low level.

Thu said that of the three resorts of Six Senes in Vietnam, only Ana Mandara agreed to slash the hotel room rate by 30-50%, while Hideaway in NInh Van Bay in Khanh Hoa and Ana Mandara in Da Lat, Lam Dong province, just agreed to a slight decrease. Meanwhile, VNAT’s website still announces the same reductions of 30-50% for all the tours of the program.

Thu said that there are a lot of hotels and businesses in Khanh Hoa, Da Nang and HCM City that have the same questions as Ana Mandara. They said that they received a letter from VNAT asking to join the “Impressive Vietnam’ program, but did not give mention of the detailed reductions. After that, VNAT announced 30-50% reductions, and it has not given guidelines yet.

Some hotels said that they have just registered to join the program, while they have not stated any reductions, but the website of “Impressive Vietnam’ has announced reductions of 30-50%

“We have logged onto promotours.gov.vn and surprisingly found the information that our hotel has slashed the hotel room rate by 30-50% for the next nine months for the tours belonging to ‘Impressive Vietnam,” said a senior official of Movenpick Hotel in Hanoi.

The official said that Movenpick has said to VNAT that it has agreed to join the tourism promotion program. It thought that the hotel would still have to have a meeting with travel firms to discuss detailed reductions for different partners and markets.

He said that the hotel is not planning such a high decrease for services and it has sent a letter to VNAT asking for an amendment of the information on the website. However, to date, the information remains stay the same.

Reducing service rates, when?

Nguyen Hong Nhat, from Sofitel Plaza in Hanoi, told Timeout that the commitment by the hotel to give special support to the tours in the tourism promotion program does not mean that the hotel will provide the 30-50% service fee reductions as announced by VNAT. To date, the hotel has not received any proposals or signed any contracts on service rate reductions with travel firms

Le Anh Chien, Deputy Director of Minh Viet Company Ltd, also said that the transport firm still needs to meet big travel firms to discuss the reductions. To date, Chien said, no travel firm has contacted to ask for the negotiations on the new service fees

Meanwhile, big travel firms, like Ben Thanh Tourist, Saigontourist and Tan Hong Travel, said that they cannot slash tour fees if they have not heard the of official fee reductions announced by air carriers, transport firms and hotels.

As such, the involved parties in such a big program at the national level are still waiting for each other’s decisions.

Meanwhile, VNAT, after launching the tourism promotion program, has not carried out any further steps, which has made involved parties puzzled.

According to Thu from Ana Mandara, the ‘Impressive Vietnam’ was born only recently; and therefore, it will not be able to be carried out until April or May. Meanwhile, June is the low season of receiving travelers from North Europe and Germany.

“European travelers go to Asia because they want to bathe in the sea. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singaporea have also been trying to attract more clients by offering low tour fees. If Vietnam cannot compete with them, they will lose clients,” Thu said.

An Yen