Quang Nam tourism copes with low season for European visitors

No European visitors

Mr. Tran Van Khoa - Director of Jack Tran Tours Co., Ltd. said that since May, business has been unstable, customers have continuously canceled tours, the total number of tours is estimated to have decreased by about 15% compared to the same period.

“Besides conflicts and wars in the world , I think part of the reason is the hot weather that makes tourists reluctant to travel. In addition, it could also be due to the influence of the ongoing EURO football tournament that has limited tourists coming to Vietnam at this time,” said Mr. Khoa.

Jack Tran Tours Company operates in the travel business, with its main customers coming from Europe, Australia, and the US, with agricultural and eco-tourism products. The decline in the traditional customer market has impacted the company’s business during these summer months.

A survey of some tourist attractions and business activities of tourism enterprises in Hoi An City found that for nearly a month now, European tourists have been quite absent. This is clearly shown on the streets, even at traditional craft villages, where European tourists often visit.

According to Mr. Truong Van Quy - owner of Sabirama Cooking Tour restaurant (famous for its cooking lessons for Westerners), hot weather, economic difficulties, high airfares... are the reasons that limit European tourists from traveling.

Although he had expected that the number of European and American tourists would be low because it was the low season, Mr. Quy was very surprised when the rate dropped so much, more than in previous years, estimated at about 50%.

It can be seen that, in the context of the decrease in Vietnamese tourists from both ends of the country traveling in the summer due to high airfares, the lack of European and American tourists makes the tourism picture of Quang Nam even more gloomy, at least from now until August.

Mr. Truong Van Quy said that at this time, the unit will focus on the domestic market with suitable products to maintain business operations.

It is expected that at the end of June, Sabirama will organize a Teambuilding program for a group of 60 Vietnamese guests in the Cam Thanh coconut forest area with exciting games, imbued with the depth of local culture to cope with the low season of European guests.

New product development

For a long time, Quang Nam’s traditional tourists mainly came from European and American markets due to their affinity with natural products and local cultural heritage. However, the emergence of Asian markets in recent years has had an impact on this tourist flow.

Very few European tourists come to Quang Nam in the summer. Photo: VL

According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, among the markets with the most visitors to Quang Nam in the first 5 months of the year, it is easy to see that Korea is still the main market with more than 161 thousand visitors, followed by Taiwan (over 131 thousand visitors).

As for the European market, Quang Nam does not welcome many, estimated at nearly 66 thousand British visitors, 61 thousand Australian visitors, nearly 53 thousand French visitors, about 56 thousand German visitors and nearly 45 thousand American visitors. Compared to Asian markets, European visitors are relatively modest.

In particular, from the actual situation and forecasts, it can be seen that the results of the European tourist market in the coming time are unlikely to have a sudden increase.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Tuan - Director of Hoi An DMC Tourism Company Limited shared that although affected in the process of welcoming European guests, most businesses cannot find any solutions during the low season.

“Usually, the low season for European and American tourists lasts until around August. This is also an opportunity for businesses to renovate facilities, add and renew tourism products and services, and be ready to welcome guests in the last months of the year,” said Mr. Tuan.

It is expected that this summer, DMC Company will add some new products and programs to welcome guests in the afternoon, such as arranging parties according to themes and requests; organizing for guests to release flower lanterns on the river...

In recent years, DMC Company's customer market has mainly come from Germany, France, Italy... participating in tourism activities such as exploring the countryside, craft villages, learning to cook, working as a farmer at Tra Que vegetable village (Hoi An)...

“If viewed from a positive perspective, the low season is also an opportunity for businesses to renew themselves, from management methods to products and services to better welcome customers,” Mr. Tuan analyzed.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/du-lich-quang-nam-xoay-xo-mua-thap-diem-khach-chau-au-3136661.html