Sudipta Dev – Mumbai
Headquartered in Hanoi, Vietnam with offices in India, Spain, UK and Kazakhstan, Victoriatour and General Commercial Company is a specialised DMC/ supplier for Indochina destinations like Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Acknowledging that there is an increase in interest among Indian tourists to visit these four countries, Chien Van Nong, director general, Victoriatour said, “The country that has seen the maximum growth in Indian arrivals is Cambodia, followed by Vietnam, then Myanmar and Laos.”
Conceding that there is not much awareness regarding Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar in India, Van Nong is optimistic about the future and foresees more interest among both travellers and the Indian travel trade. “The tourist bureau of these countries have not been very active in the India market. Vietnam tourism conducted its first road show in India in Jaipur, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad,” he stated.
Highlighting the uniqueness of the tourism products/ experiences/ attractions of these destinations Van Nong mentioned, “Cambodia is famous for the Angkor Wat temple. Vietnam for its war memorial, beaches, night life, and all four destinations i.e Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos are culturally rich with Buddhism.” He believes that along with FITs, many more segments from the India market can be tapped, for example weddings, MICE, honeymooners, anti-ageing spa treatment package, beach lovers package, family groups, golf tours, Vietnam rice terrace field tour, coffee plantation inspection, industrial visits, student groups, etc. Van Nong expects maximum growth from FIT and leisure segments, while MICE is the upcoming sector.
Disclosing their promotional strategy in the India market, Pruthi Ranjan, marketing manager for Victoriatour in India, stated, “We are participating in trade fairs and doing other marketing activities.”