An aerial view of Wyndham Grand Flamingo Cat Ba Resort, which hosts the event. The resort is located in Cát Bà Archipelago, in the south of Ha Long Bay, offshore of Hai Phong city. (Photo courtesy of Flamingo Holding Group)Theevent aimed to discuss solutions to revive travel activities and helptourism return to its position as a national key economic sector.
Theforum included two sessions, namely 'Vietnam Travel Agents – Solution for 2021'and 'Vietnam Travel Agents aim for future'.
Addressingthe event, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hungsuggested tourism enterprises restructure.
“Tourismenterprises should define which market they aim for when they restructurethemselves,” he said.
Healso suggested involved agencies pay more attention to training human resources.
“Withthe outstanding development between 2016 and 2019, Vietnamese tourism hasconfirmed its role in the national economy,” said Vu The Binh, chairman of theassociation at the event.
“Ithas gradually become a key economic sector of the country. It has also beenconsidered as a phenomenon of the world’s tourism with rapid growth and dozensof honourable prizes.
“Yetthe pandemic has pushed the national tourism to dozens of years backward. Itsconsequences have not been fully reported.
"In2020, the number of international tourists reduced nearly 80 percent, that ofdomestic visitors reduced 50 percent, the number of outbound guests reduced 90 percentand total income reduced nearly 60 percent against 2019."
Binhsaid tourism enterprises and travel agencies have used various solutions torevive the sector.
Atthe end of February 2020, the Vietnam Tourism Association launched a domestictourism stimulus programme, when hundreds of tourism enterprises broughtvisitors to safe destinations
"COVID-19has not only destroyed the economy but also hastened changes in tourismmanagement and business.
"Theadvantages of electronic commerce, which had not been fully applied in life,have become a crucial factor in various sectors.
"Asa sensitive sector, tourism has rapidly implemented digital transformation,applied modern technology in business. Yet we should further discuss how toapply digital transformation in tourism activities,” he added.
Tourismstimulation – not deep sale
PhungQuang Thang, director of Hanoitourist, said sustainable tourism will be keygoing forward and a small group of tourists will take an important role.
“Travelagencies should focus on quality rather than quantity, road travel will beexpanded, people will seek more for tourism consultants and tend to travelnearer to home than before,” he said.
Hesuggested travel agents pay more attention to developing sustainable tourism,enhancing the role of travel agents in community tourism, pushing digitaltransformation and caring more about markets, tourism products and promotions.
NguyenCong Hoan, general director of Flamingo Redtours, said the sector cannotpromote tourism only based on cutting prices.
Hoansaid tourism stimulation needed to be a long time and large-scale effort.
“Weshould diversify tourism products, add more values to stimulate the demandbesides cutting prices,” he said. “We should connect with one another closely.”
LaiMinh Duy, general director of TST Company, agreed. “I don’t thinksales and reducing the quality of products is a good idea,” he said.“Instead, we should add extra services that we could not offer before COVID-19appeared to attract visitors."
Participantsalso discussed international travel activities.
VoAnh Tai, deputy general director of Saigon Tourist, said together with domestictourism, international tourism activities will be ready to rise up quickly.
“Weshould take advantage of all opportunities to turn the risk into an opportunityto revive effectively as quickly as possible,” he said.
Hesaid safety from the pandemic is the distinct advantage for the Vietnamesetourism sector now and after the pandemic.
“Thewhole sector should implement double targets: give priority to preventing andfighting against the pandemic till all the travel limits to Vietnamese peopleto other countries and foreign people to Vietnam are removed. Then we canrevive the whole sector.”
Taisaid the sector should research, watch and forecast international marketsas the pandemic is still complicated.
Taisuggested concerned agencies reduce financial competition pressure.
Hesaid co-operation among nations in the region and world in the fields oftourism, foreign affairs and traffic should be enhanced.
Theevent also feature cooperation agreements signing ceremonies between members ofthe Northern Tourism Alliance; between MICE Club and Flamingo Holding Group;between the Vietnam Tourism Association and Cat Hai District authorities; andbetween tourism associations of HCM City, Da Nang and Hai Phong./.
VNA
