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Vietnam strives to fuel post-pandemic inbound tourism

Published

9 months ago

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Three months have passed since Vietnam completely reopened its tourism activities, including both inbound and outbound tours. While domestic travel is witnessing a boom, stronger efforts are needed to seize post-pandemic opportunities to attract more international visitors.

Vietnam strives to fuel post-pandemic inbound tourism hinh anh 1A group of foreign tourists to the Temple of Literature in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Three
months have passed since Vietnam completely reopened its tourism activities, including both
inbound and outbound tours. While domestic travel is witnessing a boom, stronger
efforts are needed to seize post-pandemic opportunities to attract more international
visitors.

Vietnam welcomed 172,900
foreign arrivals in May, shooting up 70.6 percent month on month and 12.8-fold year
on year. The five-month figure increased 4.5-fold year on year but still
nosedived 95 percent from the same period of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out,
according to the General Statistics Office.

Ha Noi Moi daily cited Nguyen
Trung Khanh, General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
(VNAT), as saying that since the country completely reopened tourism on March
15, with an open “vaccine passport” policy and many international air routes
resumed, especially the successful organisation of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), the number of foreign visitors has been on
the rise.

Recently, Khanh Hoa province
welcomed 160 Singaporean tourists to its famous resort city of Nha Trang. After
receiving several groups of Singaporean and Thai travellers in late March, Da
Nang city is working to attract more visitors from India. Meanwhile, Phu Quoc island of Kien Giang province served 4,300 international arrivals in the National
Reunification (April 30) and May Day holidays alone.

Outbound tourism is also
bouncing back.

Many travel agents said tours
to Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia are currently magnets for Vietnamese
travellers thanks to these destinations’ favourable visa and “vaccine passport”
policies. Some companies strong at arranging tours to Europe and the US have
also recorded an increasing number of customers.

Vietnam strives to fuel post-pandemic inbound tourism hinh anh 2Foreign tourists enjoy a cyclo tour of Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

However, the VNAT pointed out
that although inbound tourism has been reactivated, the number of international
visitors to the country has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels.

Nguyen Xuan Quynh, CEO of Allez Voyage travel company, said the firm has served just several tourist
groups from the US. Many travellers wish to stay in Vietnam for a longer period,
but the visa exemption currently lasts for only 15 days. Besides, soaring fuel
prices have also inflated many services’ costs, making it hard for the company
to make tourist reception plans.

Director of Ventindo
Travel company Thai Thi Thanh Lan noted while Vietnam has reopened to
international tourists, many countries still maintain a tightened travel
policy. Visitors from such major markets as China and Russia haven’t returned
to Vietnam.

Businesses are also facing numerous
difficulties related to financial and personnel shortages, product renewal, tourism
promotion, and customer seeking, said President of Lux Group Pham Ha.

To attract more foreign
tourists, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh suggested enterprises
recruit new personnel, provide more training to their existing employees while developing
new products and upgrading old ones so as to bring new experiences to
travellers.

VNAT General Director Khanh
recommended companies step up tourism promotion in potential markets such as
Europe, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. Both travel
firms and localities should boost the application of technology to enhance the
attractiveness of their destinations and tourism products.

According to the World
Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021, Vietnam ranked 52nd among the 117 listed economies, jumping eight places from 2019.

Data from Google showed that
the volume of international searches on Vietnam’s tourism has grown by 50 – 75 percent,
the fourth highest increase in the world./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-strives-to-fuel-postpandemic-inbound-tourism/231158.vnp

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Vietnam expects to enter top 30 countries in terms of tourism competitiveness: PM

Published

6 days ago

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March 16, 2023

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his belief that Vietnam will become one of the top 30 countries worldwide in terms of tourism competitiveness, while chairing an national teleconference on tourism on March 15.

Vietnam expects to enter top 30 countries in terms of tourism competitiveness: PM hinh anh 1Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)


Hanoi – Prime Minister Pham Minh
Chinh expressed his belief that Vietnam will become one of the top 30 countries worldwide
in terms of tourism competitiveness, while chairing an national teleconference on tourism on March 15.

The country’s tourism sector should develop strongly
with “special products, professional services and clean environment” to make
Vietnam a safe, friendly destination, he said.

The leader reiterated the target of welcoming from
47-50 million international visitors and raising the sector’s GDP contributions
to about 14-15%, as set at the 13th National Party Congress.

He emphasised favourable conditions for the sector
to growth further, including one world wonder, 18 world heritages and more than
41,000 tourist sites, among others, saying tourism development is the responsibility
of the entire political system, all agencies and the whole society.

Domestic tourism should be placed in the country’s general socio-economic
development as a spearhead economic sector and should be linked with regional and
world tourism, with international standards, he noted.

Regarding key tasks in the time ahead, PM Chinh asked
ministries, agencies and localities to seriously implement viewpoints and
guidelines of the Party, laws and policies of the State on tourism, while stepping
up tourism restructuring.

He urged reviewing, amending and supplementing
relevant mechanisms, policies and regulations, increasing investment and
mobilising more resources for the sector, including those from the private sector,
helping travel firms and households access loans, enhancing digital
transformation, and building and developing a smart tourism ecosystem in
Vietnam.

The PM stressed the need to facilitate the
opening of air routes and strengthen international cooperation, especially with
big, multi-national groups and corporations, in this field.

He assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism to continue implementing the project on tourism restructuring towards
the status of a spearhead economic sector, effectively utilise big sources of
holidaymakers and promote products in which Vietnam has strengths like cultural
tourism, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism,
medical tourism and agriculture-based tourism, among others.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and representative
diplomatic offices abroad were asked to coordinate with other ministries and
agencies in the communication work, and in implementing visa and immigration policies
for international visitors.

PM Chinh suggested the Ministry of Industry and Trade
integrate tourism into trade promotion programmes both at home and abroad, and
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development promote tourism based on
agriculture, rural areas and farmers.

The government leader also gave tasks to People’s Committees
of cities and provinces, and  travel associations
and firms.

Participants at the conference looked into opportunities and challenges
to the tourism industry, and sought solutions to them, proposing that
international travel companies should be encouraged to invest and operate in
Vietnam.

Statistics by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Tourism showed that the number of international visitors to Vietnam jumped to
18 million in 2019 from only 7.9 million in 2015.

Vietnam’s average annual tourism growth of 22.7% is among
the highest in the world, according to the World Travel Organisation.

The country’s tourism has moved up eight places on
the 2021 Tourism and Travel Development Index (TTDI) to the 52nd position as compared
with that in 2019, said the World Economic Forum (WEF) Report.

With six out of the 17 pillar indexes ranked among
the top in the world, Vietnam’s tourism ranks among the top three fastest
growing countries.

Since the border reopening on March 15, 2022, the
sector has been recovering, especially domestic tourism.

Last year, the country served 101.3 million domestic
visitors and 3.5 million foreign tourists, and raked in 495 trillion VND from
the industry, up more than 23% from the set target, and equivalent to 66% of
the 2019 figure./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-expects-to-enter-top-30-countries-in-terms-of-tourism-competitiveness-pm/249904.vnp

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Mong Cai int’l border gate welcomes first foreign tourist group post COVID-19

Published

6 days ago

on

March 16, 2023

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The pair of Mong Cai (Vietnam) – Dongxing (China) International Border Gates officially resumed customs clearance procedures for international tourist on March 15.

Mong Cai int’l border gate welcomes first foreign tourist group post COVID-19 hinh anh 1Mong Cai International Border Gate welcomes the first foreign tourist group post COVID-19 on March 15. (Photo: VNA)

Quang Ninh – The pair of Mong Cai (Vietnam) – Dongxing (China) International Border Gates officially resumed customs clearance procedures for international tourist on March 15.

The first foreign tourists entering Vietnam through the border gate in the northern province of Quang Ninh on the day were a group of 38 Chinese tourists. They are scheduled to visit several places in Vietnam during their four-day tour such as Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh) and the capital city of Hanoi.

The Mong Cai – Dongxing International Border Gates were officially re-opened on January 8 but only Vietnamese and Chinese citizens were allowed to go through to return home after a period of being stuck due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On February 21, import-export activities were fully resumed, and individual travellers were allowed to go through the border gates.  

It is expected that about 3,000 people will go through the border gate on March 15, the day China re-opened group tours to Vietnam.

Both the authorities and tourism agencies in Quang Ninh have got infrastructure and staff readied to receive foreign tourists. 

Vietnam is on the list of countries to which Chinese group tours can be conducted starting from March 15 in the second phase of China’s pilot programme on resuming outbound group tours./.

Source: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/mong-cai-intl-border-gate-welcomes-first-foreign-tourist-group-post-covid19/249901.vnp

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Vagabond a perfect spot for café hopping

Published

6 days ago

on

March 16, 2023

By

by Gia Linh 

The rising trend of ‘café hopping’, visiting more than one café during a single outing, has resulted in the omnipresence of many ‘instagrammable’ cafés.  The Vagabond Patisserie & Cafe in HCM City’s District 1’s Trần Cao Vân Street is one such venue, well-known among cafe-goers and sweets-lovers for their meticulously made seasonal cakes and drinks.

The word ‘vagabond’ is a nod to the owners’ philosophy of running their business outside traditional frameworks.

QUAINT: The Vagabond in 9 Trần Cao Vân Street in HCM City’s District 1 is famous for its beautiful decor and tasty cakes. – VNS Photo Gia Linh

I got to know The Vagabond through their advertisement on Instagram, and was completely taken by how pretty their cakes are. Seeing the pictures, reading the captions, and knowing that they made their pâtisserie from scratch stirred my curiosity. 

I could not wait to see this café, especially as I love baking. With two of my like-minded besties, we planned a date immediately.

Upon arrival, we were immediately awed by how it looked on the outside, an old world European concept with black-and-white exterior designs, an entrance filled with various plants, and decorations creating a mysterious, cozy atmosphere.

It was lively inside, but not too busy; jazzy 90s’ music was playing in the background. The staff were attentive, quickly setting up a table for us.

The interior had an antique, vintage theme: yellow lights, wooden tables and chairs, a floor-to-ceiling old bookshelf; it felt like a European café in the 80s.

Once we scanned through the menu, we were completely invested in the place. There are dozens of options, from desserts to coffee, tea, and even homemade ice-cream. We took a long time choosing, and ended up with three ‘no-baked’ cakes and two icy drinks.

The order came in no time, and the plating was perfect. We took tons of pictures, amazed by how beautiful the dishes looked, not wanting to ruin them. 

After planning what order we should try the cakes (from the mildest to strongest), we tried the mango and Yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit) mille crêpe first. The aroma from the Yuzu hit us on the tip of our tongues, fresh and citrusy. The combination between the rich cream, tangy hint of Yuzu and mango, and soft, light crêpe layers was so refreshing.

Since it was cherry season, we could not skip the Souvie on the menu, a ‘cherry-bomb’ full of complex components, textures and flavours.

It was covered in a paper-thin layer of berry-flavoured chocolate, and on top was glossy marmalade made of cherry chunks. The inside was a work of art, with cocoa sponge-cake at the bottom, then a layer of chocolate mousse, cherry compote, and a third layer of cherry-infused cream cheese on top. The components worked together amazingly. The hint of chocolate recognizably enhanced the natural, sweet cherry flavour. 

CAKE OFF: The Vagabond seasonal cakes are visually satisfying and taste amazing. – VNS Photo Gia Linh

Setting the cakes aside, we headed for our drinks, starting off with the cherry berry kumquat tea. While we did find the tea refreshing with the taste of cherries and kumquat, and it would pair decently with creamy, heavy cakes, it was just a bit on the bland side. 

Contrary to the tea, we could not stop drinking the oat milk with brown sugar toddy palm, which more than lived up to our expectations. The milk was creamy, nutty, the sugar syrup added a hint of sweet, caramelising taste, and the brown-sugar coated toddy palms were chewy. We think we even prefer this one over traditional milk tea!

DELIGHTFUL DRINK: The nutty oat milk with caramelised brown sugar
toddy palms was an addicting drink. – VNS Photo Gia Linh

We finished off with a Greenerie, our last cake. According to the menu, this one contained a trio of pistachio, cherry, and matcha (a rather peculiar combination). At the bottom was a thin layer of Kyoto matcha sponge cake, on top was again the cherry compote, and finally, there was the pistachio cream. The matcha taste did not overpower the other flavours, and I especially loved the sheer nuttiness of the pistachio cream. It was my favourite cake of the three.

We sat and talked for hours, enjoying the last bit of everything. Nothing was overly sweet, and portion sizes were just enough. 

Items on the menu range from VNĐ80,000 to 180,000, and our bill came to around VNĐ660,000 (US$28), a great deal for the superb cakes and drinks.

The Vagabond also has another branch at 118 Hà Huy Tập Street, District 7.

With great service, beautiful decorations, and top-tier cakes and drinks, I highly recommend The Vagabond to those who want to have a unique café outing. VNS

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Source: http://ovietnam.vn/dining/vagabond-a-perfect-spot-forcafe-hopping_342371.html

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