Is good money being thrown after bad?

Despite hundreds of thousands US dollars invested to have its tourism publicity broadcast on CNN, BBC and even in London cabs, Vietnam’s “hidden charm” still remains unrevealed.
Vietnam is becoming keen about spreading the message it is an attractive tourism destination but there are no results yet to show for it.
The government has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on commercials that air for just a few seconds on international channels like BBC and CNN.
In just the second half of last year, it forked out VND5.3 billion (US$253,600) to CNN, or 12 percent of the total tourism promotion for the year.
An online survey by the Vietnam Economic Forum of 200 tourists from around the world found that 77 percent had never heard or seen about Vietnam on the media or at tourism fairs.
There was also a six-month ad campaign ran on 27 out of London’s 10,000 taxis, but many locals say they have not seen it.
Vu Huy Vu, deputy chairman of Saigon Tourist, says however that in recent times the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has spent heavily to spread the word about Vietnam to the world and achieved positive results.
Proof of it is the increase in foreign arrivals despite the economic recession, he says.
But he emphasizes the need of establish travel agencies in other countries to consistently spread the word rather than occasionally attending tourism fairs.
“It cannot be done overnight; we must keep at it,” he says.
“Our regional competitors like Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, and Indonesia have a huge budget for tourism development.
“They set up travel agencies in potential markets like Europe and America not two or three years ago but a decade ago.”
Financial and human-resource constraints admittedly hinder Vietnam’s efforts to boost its tourism industry, but an effective and cheap channel – the Internet – has not been adequately used.
Ben Chua, the Singaporean founder and administrator of the website vietnam720.com, uses interactive features like video, audio, and animation to describe Vietnam’s tourist destinations to the world.
“The website provides an interactive tour, which allows visitors to have a view of their desired destination,” he explains.
“Just go to the Singaporean tourism website (yoursingapore.com) and you will find everything about this country. For instance, the keyword ‘art’ will show you every single piece of information related to art in Singapore.”
He also mentions his Twitter account, which he created to collect people’s opinions and comments about Vietnam. There is one new “tweet” every 10 seconds, meaning 36,000 comments or opinions per hour.
It is a goldmine of information but the government has shown no response on it so far.
“How come such a rich source of what foreign tourists like and dislike about Vietnam receives no attention from the government?”
Which image for Vietnam?
In January the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism gave away the first prize to a contestant who suggested “Vietnam – a Different Orient” in a slogan-logo contest.
But two months later it remains unapproved and the tourism industry still cannot start its marketing campaign for this year.
Foreign visitors seemingly continue to see Vietnam as a heroic country which won wars rather than as an appealing destination for travel.
“Vietnam is a friendly and joyful country but the country image that is displayed to the world just fails to show this,” Tim Russell, chairman of the travel agency Come & Go Vietnam, says.
Russell, who has been working for long in Vietnam, also emphasizes the fact that Vietnam does not enjoy a reputation as a “joyful destination” meaning only 5 percent of foreign tourists return to the country after their first visit.
This figure is 50 percent for Thailand.
Vietnam has been able to appeal only to visitors who are keen on culture and discovery, he says, but travel is not just about discovery.
It encompasses a great variety of things like leisure, golfing, beach sports, food, and nightlife, and without these, Vietnam cannot attract true holidaymakers, those who contribute to the development of the country’s tourism, he warns.
Thailand is famous for its lively nightlife, golf clubs, and beaches; while Singapore is renowned for its attractions and shopping places.
“Both of the countries have these featured advertised with their cultural values,” Russell explains.
Vietnam should hire a professional consultant and do more surveys of tourists to have an effective marketing campaign, he adds.
Nguyen Van Tuan, director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, also suggests that the government should allow the hiring of a foreign consultancy and experts.
“Actually, we are now sponsored by some international tourism associations like JATA (Japan) and countries,” he says.
He lists three key points for the promotion campaign in the coming years: making tourism a key sector; intensively developing tourism with a brand name; and boosting tourism along with security and sustainable development.

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Posted in: Business,Tour in Vietnam,Vietnam