Exempting visa or citizens from key tourist markets would
help boost tourism amidst a recent fall in the number of international
visitors, experts said.
They spoke during a workshop held by the Viet Nam Tourism
Association in Ha Noi on May 25th. The Government should give visa exemptions
to citizens of France, the UK, Germany and Australia to encourage visitors from
these nations, they said.
Viet Nam unilaterally exempts visas for citizens of Japan,
the Republic of Korea, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Russia. It bilaterally
grants 30-day exemptions for citizens from nine out of the 10 ASEAN member
states.
The number of international holiday makers dropped from June
2014 to April 2015, with the growth rate falling from 34.8 percent in 2010 to 4
percent in 2014.
Chairman of the Viet Nam Tourism Association Nguyen Huu Tho
attributed the decline in numbers to changes in visa, transit and cruise travel
regulations and the National Administration of Tourism's ineffective
coordination between localities.
He said he regarded existing tourism promotion efforts
unprofessional, adding that there was a shortage of large-scale promotion
campaigns. The prevalence of ineffective small-scale campaigns has muted the
tourism industry's image domestically and internationally, he added.
Insufficient support for the creation of tourism services
and a lack of qualified staff were also contributing factors, Tho said.
He also highlighted a number of global economic
developments, such as the appreciation of USD, the depreciation of EUR and JPY,
and falling oil prices, which undermined people's willingness to spend money on
travel.
Some localities have re-established Tourism Departments
under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Experts said travel companies should participate more in
promotion programmes and strengthen ties with their counterparts to provide
high-quality, affordable services./.
Source: Vietnamtourism
0 nhận xét: