Meditation on the Perfume River

Need to create a product chain

Accompanying tourists to many tourist attractions in Thuy Bieu ward (Thuan Hoa district, Hue city) and Duong Hoa commune (Huong Thuy town)..., we were introduced to the tourism model associated with health care activities, especially foot baths with medicinal plants, using macrobiotic foods... Mr. Tran Quang Hao, Director of HueTourist Tourism and Service Joint Stock Company, said that currently, in Thuy Bieu, a model has been formed to develop medicinal products according to the value chain associated with eco-tourism. This is considered a direction to exploit the health care factor - a tourism trend that tourists really like.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists have become increasingly interested in health care tourism. Grasping this trend, Hue's travel and tourism businesses have also exploited many products that combine tourism activities and health care. Currently, the whole city has deployed the development of health care tourism destinations. Many new tourism products have been born, associated with tourism resources in Hue such as hot mineral baths, meditation, resorts combined with health care therapy activities... In addition, Hue has also introduced oriental medicine in general and royal medicine in particular into tourism exploitation, which is considered one of the unique types and products of tourism.

Health care tour in Thuy Bieu

According to the leaders of the Department of Tourism, the tourism industry has signed a cooperation agreement with the Department of Health, the Provincial Association of Traditional Medicine and Hue Central Hospital to implement a number of tasks to develop health care tourism in the city. Currently, there are specific products and directions such as: Inauguration of the Hue Central International Aesthetic Center; construction and establishment of the Hue Royal Medical Institute on the basis of developing the Traditional Medicine Hospital; implementation of the digital transformation plan for the health sector and deployment of the Mobile Health application. The Department of Health also coordinated with localities and the Hue City Oriental Medicine Association to propose planning for medicinal plant growing areas to serve the health sector... In addition, tourism businesses have also begun to exploit and expand services to form health care tourism products such as the model of inner-city hotels combining accommodation and medical examination and treatment services in the form of traditional Oriental medicine with a facility named Spatel D'Annam (Dai Nam Thai Y Vien) at 57 Dang Dung and 02 Doan Thi Diem along with a number of service establishments specializing in high-end products combining cuisine and mind-body care methods such as Tinh Cu Cat Tuong Quan, Alba Wellnes Valley by Fusion, Kobi Onsen My An, An Nhien Vegetarian Garden...

Hue is a locality that is interested in health care tourism and has had positive signs, however, there are still many concerns. Although there are many products and services associated with health care tourism, tourist destinations that have exploited health care factors, in general, according to experts, health care tourism models in Vietnam in general, Hue in particular, are still developing commensurate with their potential, have not yet created a product chain, deeply exploited values ​​and created deep experiences for tourists; health care tours are still mainly in the form of combinations, there are no specialized tours, creating highlights for visitors to choose to come to Hue for health care tourism, treatment and balance of body - mind - spirit.

Mr. Truong Thanh Minh, Director of the Tourism Promotion Information Center, said that tourists also need to delve into the inner values ​​of tourism products. Health care tourism must form a chain of products where visitors can experience the best. Visitors to Hue can relax, have a general health check-up, experience meditation on the Perfume River, enjoy macrobiotic food... All are built into a complete and in-depth tourism product that visitors can only experience when coming to Hue.

Invest more systematically

Before developing the project “Orientation for developing health care tourism in Thua Thien Hue province” (now Hue city), the Department of Tourism conducted initial surveys. Accordingly, the spending of tourists in Hue focused on activities such as: Sightseeing, enjoying cuisine; tourists were less interested in spending on shopping, health care or experiencing traditional craft villages.

Resort tourism combined with health care activities

According to the data collected, the average daily spending of tourists is mainly on the following items: Accommodation, food, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, souvenirs, food, etc., averaging about 1.9 - 2.2 million VND/person. However, spending on health care and improvement services (excluding separate costs for specialized medical treatment because it is a separate field) is still very low, accounting for less than 5% of the spending structure. The above results show that Hue is ignoring the great advantage of a high-quality, specialized medical center; a tourist center with full conditions to develop resort tourism combined with medical examination and treatment. In addition to the long-standing traditional medicine and famous modern medicine brands, there are many advantages in tourism resources such as hot mineral springs, a system of resorts and high-class hotels built in peaceful spaces along the hillsides, along the banks of the Huong River or stretching along the beaches, easily blending with nature and suitable for exploiting resort tourism and health care. Hue also has a rich system of medicinal plants to apply to health care tourism.

Director of the Department of Tourism Tran Thi Hoai Tram shared that, in addition to the cultural heritage tourism as the core foundation, the tourism industry also researches and perfects the products and services of the complementary tourism types that Hue has strengths in, including health care tourism. The tourism industry of the ancient capital has also built tourism development projects with key and long-term orientations.

To develop health care tourism systematically, it is necessary to promote socialization in exploiting and developing health care tourism types, including the Imperial Citadel area, with products associated with the royal medicine of the Nguyen Dynasty's Imperial Medical Institute. In addition, it is necessary to call for investment to complete a number of service facilities, tourist destinations combined with medical examination and treatment, professional health care based on the advantages and existing foundations of the Oriental medicine system of the Ancient Capital to create a space for traditional medicine associated with tourism of the city, with the main highlight being the restoration of some activities of the Imperial Medical Institute.

The Department of Tourism coordinates with relevant departments and branches to study and promulgate mechanisms, policies, service and product orientations so that tourism service businesses can quickly study tour connections and soon put into operation the types of health care tourism, medical tourism, medical tourism associated with traditional Oriental medicine; link up to exploit and implement resort tours combined with traditional Oriental medicine treatment at hot mineral water tourist areas in Thanh Tan and My An. Continue to coordinate with relevant departments, branches and units to call for investment in places with new mineral water sources capable of treating diseases, combined with natural landscapes and clean ecological environments to build resorts combined with medical treatment that meet international standards to serve domestic and international tourists.

The tourism industry also needs to pay attention to training human resources associated with CSSK tourism, and at the same time do better in promoting, bringing information and CSSK tourism products to tourists from all over the world.

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