Vietnam moves to attract more tourists

Tourism officials of Vietnam announced on Jan. 10 a host of solutions in an effort to attract more tourists in the years to come amidst the global economic downturn.

The officials told a press conference that Vietnam ’s tourism industry has set a target of serving 5 million foreign and 21.5 million local tourists this year. The figures are expected to increase to 6 million and 23.5 million in 2010, they said.

To reach this target, Vietnam will focus on reducing prices of air tickets, hotel services and souvenirs, with the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines being the pioneer in lowering air ticket prices this year.

Vietnam will host a series of festivities nationwide, including the Year of Tourism in the Central Highlands that features celebrations of Da Lat city as well as flower, gong, coffee and wine festivals.

The year 2009 will also see a firework competition in the central city of Da Nang, the Nha Trang Sea Festival in central Khanh Hoa province, days of Mekong-Japan culture and tourism in Can Tho city, the third Asia Indoor Games, a food and hotel fair in Ho Chi Minh City, and a joint programme to promote tourism in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in HCM City.

In 2010, visitors will have the opportunity to join in the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, the Hue Festival, and the Miss World pageant in Khanh Hoa province, as well as international film, puppetry and circus festivals.

During the press briefing that was held within the framework of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2009, officials of Singapore and Myanmar also introduced tourism potentials and measures to promote tourism development in their respective countries.