LookAtVietnam – The country’s tourism promotion program Impressive Vietnam will be extended until the end of this year rather than end-September to appeal more international travelers and local tourists in the high season,

“The program is attracting fewer tourists than expected because of some reasons but we need programs like this to woo foreign visitors”.

Tuan said that more funds would be pooled from the National Tourism Action Program for activities to get tourism incentives known across key markets.

“We will make activities to promote the program in and outside the country and to invite international media and tour operators to come to Vietnam,” he said.

Vietnam’s tourism authority early this year has announced the Impressive Vietnam program, offering discounts of between 30% and 50% for visitors buying package tours offered by travel agencies who registered to join the program. Up to now, more than 85 travel agencies together with hotels, shopping venues, restaurants, and transportation companies have put their names down to join the program.

However, the country’s tourism bodies so far have mostly been promoting the Impressive Vietnam program within the country, with few marketing activities staged in potential sourced markets for Vietnam’s inbound sector due to a lack of budgets.

The planned extension of the sale program was applauded by local tour operators who said they would have more time to promote the program to overseas partners.

“The program is attracting fewer tourists than expected because of some reasons but we need programs like this to woo foreign visitors,” said Nguyen Minh Quyen, deputy head of Ben Thanh Tourist Travel Service Center.

He suggested that the national tourism authority make stronger cooperation with Vietnam Airlines to make the Impressive Program more attractive to foreigners. The company is offering discounts of 30% to 50% to foreigners depending on discounts from hotels, and other service providers. It’s expecting Vietnam Airlines to lower local air tickets to foreign travelers.

Vietnam’s tourism has seen a decline in foreign visitor arrivals since the middle of 2008 but the promotion program was only launched this January. Furthermore, it took up to two more months to complete the program before information regarding Impressive Vietnam was sent to the outside world.

Therefore, local tour operators have complained about limited time to inform foreign partners of the program.

“We need around six months to get good prices known to partners in faraway markets. We want the program extended to attract guests in the next travel season,” said Au Uyen Phuong from the Inbound Department of Saigontourist Travel Service Company.

Phuong said that while the Impressive Vietnam program could not help the tourism sector to gain a strong rise in arrivals in the context of an economic downturn and H1N1 now, it can help the sector to reduce the bad impacts in this situation.

Nearly 1.9 million foreign visitors have visited the country in the first half of this year, or a fall of over 19% year-on-year.

VietNamNet/SGT