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Honorary President of the Singapore Tourism Management Institute Wong Soon-hwa evaluated Vietnam's tourism position as "the best in Southeast Asia" but needs to improve destination management.
"Vietnam has the best position in Southeast Asia for the tourism industry to develop," said Wong Soon-hwa, Honorary President of the Singapore Tourism Management Institute and former President of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), at the workshop "Public-Private Cooperation in Managing and Developing Tourist Destinations" on October 31 in Hanoi.
According to Mr. Wong, Vietnam has a vast area of more than 331,000 km2 and a large population of nearly 100 million people, creating a rich labor force for the service - tourism industry. Vietnam is a safe destination due to its stable political situation, which foreign investors always prioritize when seeking to invest.
View attachment 796
Vietnam won two awards for "Asia's Leading Destination" and "Asia's Leading Nature Tourist Destination" in 2023 at the WTA awards ceremony held in September in Ho Chi Minh City. The photo above was taken in the early autumn in the capital, Hanoi. Image: Vũ Ngọc Thiện
Vietnam also possesses abundant natural resources, rich heritage, and cuisine loved by tourists. After the pandemic, international experts assessed that Vietnam's tourism industry is developing faster than Thailand and Japan. Vietnam has continuously been honored in prestigious international awards such as the World Travel Awards and World Culinary Awards. The government is also very concerned and creates conditions for the tourism industry to develop, such as relaxing visa policies and granting e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories around the world.
However, currently, Vietnam is still not a top tourist hotspot in the region, standing behind countries like Thailand and Malaysia. In the first 10 months of the year, Vietnam received 10 million international visitors while Thailand welcomed over 21.5 million visitors.
Therefore, for Vietnam's tourism industry to develop further, Mr. Wong believes it is necessary to manage destinations well.
Mr. Albert, co-founder of the travel platform Traveloka, headquartered in six Southeast Asian countries, defines "destination" not only as names on the map but also as experiences that tourists and locals create together. "With a country blessed by nature like Vietnam, managing destinations is extremely important," Albert said.
View attachment 797
Halong Bay - Cat Ba archipelago (photo) is recognized as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Image: Trần Đạt
According to Mr. Wong, the guiding principle in managing a destination is sustainability, balancing the quality and quantity of tourists; developing tourism not only for the present but also for the future.
To achieve this, destinations need to have cooperation between the public and private sectors, or the government - local people - tourists - businesses. Wong believes that regardless of how the partnership works, in every destination around the world, the government always plays a leading role. The government needs to provide infrastructure, human resources, and a quick approval process to allow investors to start immediately. Additionally, the government needs to widely disclose investment plans as well as completion timelines and must meet deadlines. Wong emphasizes this is crucial as investors need to know what the government is doing so they can invest and develop tourism.
Wong mentioned that Sentosa Island in Singapore is much smaller than Phu Quoc but receives over 20 million visitors each year. A significant contribution to this number comes from domestic tourists. Vietnam can also consider the development model of Sentosa to apply it to domestic destinations.
"We manage destinations not only to serve international tourists but also for domestic guests. Disneyland or Paris cannot exist with only international visitors," Wong said. Therefore, when building and developing destinations, Vietnam needs to consider the needs of local clients in addition to the number of foreign guests.
An equally important factor that helps Vietnam manage its destinations better and attract international investors is "following the law." According to Wong, every country has its own laws or regulations. What stands out about this destination compared to others on the world map is how the country enforces its laws. "Enforcing the law correctly is a crucial factor determining success," Wong stated.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Phạm Hồng Long, head of the Tourism Faculty at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, many old destinations are being competed with by new ones. Therefore, destinations that want to develop need to have high adaptability. Local authorities need to implement measures to enhance local pride in their destinations and create unique products that do not overlap with others to attract guests.
Mr. Đinh Ngọc Đức, Head of the International Relations Department of the National Tourism Administration, noted that if a destination wants to succeed, its authorities need to "prioritize the tourist experience." Here, the experience refers to providing tourists with professional services, competitive prices where guests get what they deserve, a clean environment, friendly and civilized locals, and safe and sustainable destinations. In addition, tour products must be distinctive, and procedures should be convenient, such as simple entry requirements and easy transportation to attractions.
Tourism experts believe that when Vietnam implements the above measures, the tourism industry will grow significantly.
Source:
"Vietnam has the best position in Southeast Asia for the tourism industry to develop," said Wong Soon-hwa, Honorary President of the Singapore Tourism Management Institute and former President of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), at the workshop "Public-Private Cooperation in Managing and Developing Tourist Destinations" on October 31 in Hanoi.
According to Mr. Wong, Vietnam has a vast area of more than 331,000 km2 and a large population of nearly 100 million people, creating a rich labor force for the service - tourism industry. Vietnam is a safe destination due to its stable political situation, which foreign investors always prioritize when seeking to invest.
View attachment 796
Vietnam won two awards for "Asia's Leading Destination" and "Asia's Leading Nature Tourist Destination" in 2023 at the WTA awards ceremony held in September in Ho Chi Minh City. The photo above was taken in the early autumn in the capital, Hanoi. Image: Vũ Ngọc Thiện
Vietnam also possesses abundant natural resources, rich heritage, and cuisine loved by tourists. After the pandemic, international experts assessed that Vietnam's tourism industry is developing faster than Thailand and Japan. Vietnam has continuously been honored in prestigious international awards such as the World Travel Awards and World Culinary Awards. The government is also very concerned and creates conditions for the tourism industry to develop, such as relaxing visa policies and granting e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories around the world.
However, currently, Vietnam is still not a top tourist hotspot in the region, standing behind countries like Thailand and Malaysia. In the first 10 months of the year, Vietnam received 10 million international visitors while Thailand welcomed over 21.5 million visitors.
Therefore, for Vietnam's tourism industry to develop further, Mr. Wong believes it is necessary to manage destinations well.
Mr. Albert, co-founder of the travel platform Traveloka, headquartered in six Southeast Asian countries, defines "destination" not only as names on the map but also as experiences that tourists and locals create together. "With a country blessed by nature like Vietnam, managing destinations is extremely important," Albert said.
View attachment 797
Halong Bay - Cat Ba archipelago (photo) is recognized as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. Image: Trần Đạt
According to Mr. Wong, the guiding principle in managing a destination is sustainability, balancing the quality and quantity of tourists; developing tourism not only for the present but also for the future.
To achieve this, destinations need to have cooperation between the public and private sectors, or the government - local people - tourists - businesses. Wong believes that regardless of how the partnership works, in every destination around the world, the government always plays a leading role. The government needs to provide infrastructure, human resources, and a quick approval process to allow investors to start immediately. Additionally, the government needs to widely disclose investment plans as well as completion timelines and must meet deadlines. Wong emphasizes this is crucial as investors need to know what the government is doing so they can invest and develop tourism.
Wong mentioned that Sentosa Island in Singapore is much smaller than Phu Quoc but receives over 20 million visitors each year. A significant contribution to this number comes from domestic tourists. Vietnam can also consider the development model of Sentosa to apply it to domestic destinations.
"We manage destinations not only to serve international tourists but also for domestic guests. Disneyland or Paris cannot exist with only international visitors," Wong said. Therefore, when building and developing destinations, Vietnam needs to consider the needs of local clients in addition to the number of foreign guests.
An equally important factor that helps Vietnam manage its destinations better and attract international investors is "following the law." According to Wong, every country has its own laws or regulations. What stands out about this destination compared to others on the world map is how the country enforces its laws. "Enforcing the law correctly is a crucial factor determining success," Wong stated.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Phạm Hồng Long, head of the Tourism Faculty at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, many old destinations are being competed with by new ones. Therefore, destinations that want to develop need to have high adaptability. Local authorities need to implement measures to enhance local pride in their destinations and create unique products that do not overlap with others to attract guests.
Mr. Đinh Ngọc Đức, Head of the International Relations Department of the National Tourism Administration, noted that if a destination wants to succeed, its authorities need to "prioritize the tourist experience." Here, the experience refers to providing tourists with professional services, competitive prices where guests get what they deserve, a clean environment, friendly and civilized locals, and safe and sustainable destinations. In addition, tour products must be distinctive, and procedures should be convenient, such as simple entry requirements and easy transportation to attractions.
Tourism experts believe that when Vietnam implements the above measures, the tourism industry will grow significantly.
Source:
