The national tourism promotion program was launched one month ago in an effort to lure more travelers to Vietnam. However, travel firms seem to be lonely in the program implementation.

The national tourism promotion program was launched one month ago in an effort to lure more travelers to Vietnam

It is not so easy to get tour fee reductions of 30-50% as suggested. Thu Minh from Hanoi Toserco said that travel firms really want to slash tour fees, but this still depends on other services, like transport, hotel room rates and meals, which account for 50% of the tour fee. Meanwhile, Minh said, hotels have not been cooperative in reducing hotel room rates.

Mai Lan from Vietravel Hanoi also said that a lot of hotels have promised to slash hotel room rates, but they have been warding off when asked to negotiate the details of the room rate reductions.

Luu Nhan Vinh from DL Vietnam said that in order to stimulate the demand, travel firms and hotels need to join forces. “In Thailand, 24 leading hotels have committed a single price ($50/room), but in Vietnam, hotels have not shaken hands for the common benefit,” Vinh said.

In fact, some high-grade hotels have slashed room rates, but experts have pointed out that the room rates have just been lowered from previous, overly-high rates, while they have not become low enough.

Adversity brings wisdom

When asked for the opinion of the Vietnam Tourism Association VITA about the tourism promotion package, VITA Secretary General Tran Tien Nghi said that a lot of matters need to be discussed for the implementation of the program, adding that VITA will organize three meetings with travel firms in February, which he hopes will bring about good solutions.

Haratours Hanoi’s Director Tran Tat Chung said that the company has announced 100 addresses that offer hotel room rate reductions.

In order to attract foreign travelers, Vietnam should spend money on building Vietnam House at international trade fairs (VND 500 million for each would be okay). This will encourage firms to go there to attract more travelers.

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Dr. Vo Quang Trong, Director of Vietnam Ethnology Museum said that in order to attract foreign travelers, Vietnam needs to improve the quality of festivals. In fact, some of the festivals remain monotonous or have become commercialized, which keep many travelers from returning.

VietNamNet/Tien phong