The stage where the Opening Ceremony of National Tourism Year - Hue 2025 takes place. Photo: Organizing Committee of National Tourism Year - Hue 2025

Brand awareness

Right from the beginning of the year, the local tourism industry coordinated with relevant departments, branches and units to urgently develop and complete the content of the script, stage, preparation stages and promote communication and promotion of the National Tourism Year - Hue 2025.

Ms. Tran Thi Hoai Tram, Director of the Department of Tourism, said that the National Tourism Year 2025 with the theme "Hue - Ancient Capital, New Opportunities" will have more than 160 activities organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, central agencies, Hue City and provinces and cities in the country. Notably, the opening ceremony of the National Tourism Year 2025 was held on the evening of March 25 at the stage along the Huong River (National School Stele area). The stage will be semi-realistic on the water and on the shore. The performance will be semi-realistic, combined with water screens, visual mapping, floor leds, pyrotechnic effects, hot air balloons, paragliding, heavy smoke, sound and light arrangements.

At the working session with the locality to hear the report on the opening program and contents related to the organization of the National Tourism Year - Hue 2025 (March 3), Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong gave directions and suggestions about the goals to be achieved from this series of major events and programs. That is, Hue must determine the goals for the National Tourism Year, must be successful in creating and spreading the Hue tourism brand; make a breakthrough in the number of visitors to Hue; especially, there must be new products, new flight routes, new connections...

Looking back to the past, thanks to early recognition of the advantages of organizing a comprehensive tourism event in each major tourist center, as early as 2002, the General Department of Tourism (now the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism) had the initiative and idea to implement the National Tourism Year program. This idea has become the main activity of the year to attract domestic and international visitors to explore specific tourism products of each locality with the connection and response of other localities. Hue was also honored to host the National Tourism Year for the first time in 2012 and the efforts to promote infrastructure investment; build new routes, destinations, and tours; focus on promoting and advertising tourism during the implementation of the National Tourism Year have brought about socio-economic efficiency for the locality.

However, in the context of tourism facing many fluctuations after the COVID-19 pandemic, competition between destinations is increasingly fierce, the speed of tourism development in Hue is currently assessed as still not commensurate with its potential and advantages. Therefore, Hue needs to take advantage of the valuable opportunity from the second time hosting the National Tourism Year to affirm its tourism position.

Many suggestions for Hue

Remember at the workshop with the theme "Improving the effectiveness of organizing the National Tourism Year for the period 2012 - 2017" held in Hue 14 years ago, the leader of the General Department of Tourism at that time emphasized that before determining the goals to form the theme and content for each National Tourism Year, there are 3 important issues that need to be clarified: First, it is necessary to determine through the organization of the National Tourism Year to promote and promote domestic and foreign tourism, raising awareness of tourism. Second, it is necessary to distinguish whether this is a major activity to attract tourists or an activity to awaken the tourism potential in a locality or territory. Third, this activity is to serve tourists or local people. Only when these three issues are clearly defined, the theme, content and criteria for evaluating the success of organizing the National Tourism Year will truly fully reflect the event's objectives, and at the same time, the preparation and implementation work will limit shortcomings.

According to People's Artist Nguyen Xuan Bac, Director of the Department of Performing Arts, Hue should research to have many local specialties in cuisine, culture, art... appear in the programs. These can also be special gifts associated with the programs and events that delegates can bring back to remember Hue. For art programs, it is necessary to arrange performances by international and domestic art troupes appropriately, creating a cultural exchange but still highlighting the value of Hue's cultural heritage. Also according to People's Artist Xuan Bac, currently the spirit of "following idols" among young people is very high. Hue should research to have programs to invite young idols to Hue, thereby creating events with attraction and influence, strong media effects.

Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, said that communication and promotion work is very important and needs to be one step ahead. Through the logo and slogan of the National Tourism Year 2025 with the theme "Hue - Ancient Capital, New Opportunities", from here it is necessary to promote communication, appear more on publications, platforms... Content, activities, and events associated with the National Tourism Year must be continuously informed to travel agencies and tour sales partners associated with the event.

According to Deputy Minister Ho An Phong, all preparations for the National Tourism Year events must be carried out carefully and thoughtfully; there must be an adjustment of the brand identity into communication products. In addition, in the art programs, attention must be paid not only to the collection of art performances but also to the art of telling the story of a land rich in culture, so that visitors can understand Hue and have a deep impression of this land.

Huynh Phuc