Need a dynamic solution

Hoi An tourism products during the flood season are considered difficult to implement because they are unsafe. Photo: KL

The product is not new.

The tourism stimulus program will take place over 6 months, with phase 1 themed “Quang Nam - Summer Emotions” taking place from May to August 2024 and phase 2 “Quang Nam Golden Season” taking place from September to the end of November 2024 with about 10 product packages. In addition, more than 40 festivals are also listed to introduce to tourists and businesses on this occasion.

Phase 1, the program introduces attractions such as Hoi An ancient town, My Son relic site, Cu Lao Cham world biosphere reserve, Vinwonder Nam Hoi An, Bay Mau coconut forest, Pơmu heritage forest, Phu Ninh Lake eco-tourism area, Dong Giang Heaven Gate eco-tourism area... which are considered not new.

In phase 2, in 6 product groups such as "Moss-covered ancient town", "Hoi An in flood season", "Countryside flavor", "Green golden season", new rice festival, terracotta art creation camp were assessed as vague, even difficult to be feasible.

For example, the product group "Hoi An in the flood season" with the experience of boating in the old town on high water days or the tour of boating on the Thu Bon River in Cam Kim, at first sounds very romantic but is far from reality, difficult to implement because it is related to factors of ensuring safety and life of tourists during the flood season, requiring the coordination of many departments and branches; the tourism industry or businesses themselves cannot decide.

Or the festival to celebrate the new rice crop, to see the terraced fields of the Xe Dang and Ca Dong ethnic groups is also considered difficult to implement because it depends on infrastructure and destination services...

In addition, more than 40 festivals are listed, from annual festivals in Hoi An such as Thanh Ha pottery ancestor's death anniversary, "Old Town Full Moon Night", Tan Thanh fishing village fair, lantern festival, Christmas... to highland festivals such as Ngoc Linh ginseng festival, gong festival of Nam Giang district... are also considered not new or outstanding.

Mr. Le Quoc Viet - Chairman of Quang Nam Destination Club to preserve indigenous values said that many product groups in the stimulus program are ideas proposed by the Club to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to promote the Quang Nam brand, so they are feasible and have enough factors to implement.

“The program “Golden Season of Quang Nam” falls in the low season, while at this time the scenery of Quang Nam is wonderful, so it is necessary to fully exploit the advantages to prolong the stay and spending of visitors.

The target market, in addition to backpackers, will be retirees, middle-aged and elderly people, people interested in learning about culture, vacationing, foreigners living and working in Vietnam... who cannot travel in the summer because of the hot weather" - Mr. Viet analyzed.

Need a synchronized solution

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong - Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism affirmed that the stimulus program will help attract more tourists to Quang Nam, completing the target of welcoming visitors set for the year.

Stimulating tourism in Quang Nam needs to be more practical. Photo: KL

However, many businesses believe that the key issue in stimulating tourism demand is not just introducing old, unfeasible festival programs and products, but should focus on specific solutions such as service prices, accommodation, transportation, especially in the current situation of high airfares and train tickets.

Including coordinating with accommodation businesses to calculate and consider solutions for hotel room prices to increase competitiveness.

In fact, compared to Da Nang, the price of accommodation in Hoi An is about 20 - 30% higher, causing many travel businesses to prioritize accommodation in Da Nang over Quang Nam to reduce costs.

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Dung - Director of MP Hoi An Tourism Company informed that during this holiday, businesses are operating at a low level, mainly welcoming regular customers due to high airfares and accommodation prices, and welcoming customers is not profitable. This is also the common situation of many Hoi An tourism businesses.

According to Mr. Steve Wolstenholme - Chairman and General Director of Hoiana, the number of visitors to this complex is equivalent to 60% compared to the same period last year due to high airfares. Obviously, the current demand stimulus issue must be synchronized with the participation and commitment of many partners and related units.

In fact, although there has been coordination with a number of service providers to participate in stimulating demand, this number is still small and not comprehensive.

Mr. Le Quoc Viet analyzed that to solve this problem, it is necessary to diversify transportation services. Recently, the Quang Nam Destination Club to preserve indigenous values has sent a document requesting the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Department of Transport to provide a list of tourist transportation companies to inform customers.

In addition, the Club also discussed with the tourism industry to study and implement a number of solutions such as cooperating with bus companies; renting tourist trains (renting cars, group trips or connecting additional cars) to take passengers from Hanoi, Hue to Da Nang, Quang Nam.

Even discussing with Thaco Truong Hai to rent or establish a fleet of vehicles to serve customers from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi to Hoi An, limiting dependence on air routes. However, this is still just an unrealized idea, at least up to now.

Source