Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Hanoi International Tourism Fair (VITM) on April 11 in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) Ho An Phong affirmed that Vietnam's tourism industry is showing signs of recovery and strong development with positive changes.
Making Vietnam a world-class destination
In the first 3 months of 2024, Vietnam welcomed and served about 4.6 million arrivals; an increase of 78.6% over the same period last year, 3.2% higher than the same period in 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic). Domestic tourists reached 30 million arrivals, total tourism revenue is estimated at 195,000 billion VND. The above results show that tourism in 2024 is expected to recover completely, surpassing the record of 2019.
Mr. Ho An Phong affirmed that along with the recovery trend and continued strong growth of world tourism, tourism products that enhance the experience for tourists such as: green tourism activities, cultural experience tourism, local lifestyle as well as long-term resort tourism... will be the main trends and products for both domestic and international tourists. Therefore, the tourism industry needs to continue to innovate, be dynamic, creative, make the most of technology, promote the advantages, values and identities of localities and regions, making Vietnam a prestigious destination in the region.
Tourists today tend to pay more attention to the quality of their experiences at a destination. They will stay longer if the destination offers many interesting experiences. In the past, trendy beach tourism was popular, but in recent years, it has shifted to mountain resorts and experiencing local culture. The new generation of tourists are those who love the environment, respect and are responsible for the environment, so the trend of finding unique cultural values and pristine ecology is also becoming popular.
Mr. Vu Quoc Tri, General Secretary of the Vietnam Tourism Association, added that tourism currently has two paths, one is green transformation, the other is digital transformation. At this time, Vietnamese tourism must follow both paths. "We need to green the whole system, not just a few people. The whole system must transform so that the tourism industry can transform," Mr. Tri affirmed.
Tourism experts assess that public awareness of green transformation in tourism is increasing. However, to create consensus and comprehensive transformation, many things need to be done, not simply stopping at awareness but we must act, must have supporting resources and especially need new technology to transform from awareness into results.
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong (3rd from right) and delegates visit the booth at the Hanoi International Tourism Fair VITM 2024
Reducing plastic waste in the tourism industry
Mr. Vu Quoc Tri emphasized that the tourism industry must protect the environment and the message that the Vietnam Tourism Association wants to convey is to reduce plastic waste. To realize the message "The tourism industry joins hands to reduce plastic waste," the Vietnam Tourism Association calls on units and businesses to join hands to build green, sustainable tourism, promote cultural values, respect resources, and protect the ecological environment. In particular, at VITM Hanoi 2024, the Vietnam Tourism Association recommends that participating units do not use plastic water bottles and nylon bags at the fair, encourage partners and customers to limit the use of disposable plastic products when participating in the fair, actively take actions to maintain hygiene, protect the environment, and move towards a VITM without plastic waste.
"We hope that through the activities of the fair, the concept of green transformation will spread widely among tourism businesses, the tourism industry and the whole society, so that together with digital transformation, it will become the wings of the industry, helping Vietnamese tourism take off in the coming time," added Mr. Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association.
Expected to attract 80,000 visitors
55 provinces and cities of Vietnam, 16 countries and territories participated in the Hanoi International Tourism Fair VITM 2024. Within the framework of the fair, there were over 450 booths of over 700 units, of which 25% were international booths. The fair is expected to welcome over 3,500 Vietnamese and international tourism businesses to work with about 80,000 visitors to visit and shop.
VITM Hanoi 2024 takes place from April 11 to 14 with many tourism promotion activities, through meetings between businesses and businesses; businesses and tourists, activities of Vietnamese and international tourism promotion agencies. Visitors to VITM Hanoi 2024 will have many interesting experiences when coming to promotional programs, discounted air tickets, cheap hotel rooms and OCOP products of regions across the country.
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