Steena Joy – Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam has plans to focus on India as it sees strong potential in tourist arrivals from the country. Speaking at the press conference held during the ongoing ITE HCMC 2015 in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr Ha Van Sieu, vice chairman, ministry of culture, sports and tourism, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said, ” In 2014, Vietnam received around 60,000 visitors from India. We want to increase this number to between 100,000 to 200,000 in 2015. India is a very important target market for us.”
Better air connectivity is expected to help push numbers. Jet Airways already flies directly to the Vietnamese capital and Vietnam Airlines may soon be starting flights from Mumbai and later Delhi.
Commenting on the need to use social media and e-marketing for promoting tourism, Dr Sieu said, “We know the importance of e-marketing and social media in promoting tourism and we want to learn from the experiences of countries like India who has used it to great advantage.”
Vietnam is rolling out a tourism strategy based on the theme of Timeless Charm which will focus on four key product lines: cultural tourism, coastal tourism, eco based tourism and city breaks. Supplementary products being developed include weddings and honeymoons, MICE, cruising, spa and wellness, golf and adventure.