According to a survey by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), cruise tourism is a high-revenue form of tourism, with earnings more than 40% higher than for other forms such as air or road travel. The UNWTO forecast that cruise tourism will experience a strong recovery in 2023, and Thua Thien-Hue possesses many advantages to tap this type of tourism.
Thua Thien-Hue’s Chan May Port has a capacity of accommodating ships of up to 70,000 DWT and tourist vessels up to 225,000 GRT. The deep-water port has been selected by the Asia Cruise Association as one of 46 stopovers in Southeast Asia for cruise ships and large tourist vessels.
To fully exploit cruise tourism, Thua Thien-Hue is calling for investment in high-end entertainment venues, large shopping centres, and restaurants to serve thousands of guests at the one time. It is also working to diversify its tourism offerings associated with lagoons and traditional craft villages. It is expected that, in 2024, Chan May Port will welcome 30 ships, bringing nearly 48,000 tourists and more than 18,700 crew members.
Experts have said that Vietnam in general and Thua Thien-Hue in particular must have cruise tourism offerings that make it stand out from destinations in other countries in the region to boost spending by international visitors.
The province needs to promote cruise tourism by participating in fairs, holding related events, and proactively providing destination information to shipping lines, experts have said, adding that localities also need to improve customs procedures, simplify administrative procedures, and develop human resources to serve cruise tourists./.
