Tapping into the "gold mine" of cruise tourism.

Báo Kinh tế và Đô thị•14/03/2024

International tourists are arriving in Vietnam in large numbers by cruise ship.

Since the beginning of 2024, the cruise market has flourished with a series of cruise ships carrying thousands of international tourists docking at ports in Nha Trang, Da Nang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Quang Ninh, and Hue. A report from the Vietnam National Tourism Administration shows that in the first two months of 2024, the tourism industry welcomed 90,700 international tourists to Vietnam by cruise ship, a sevenfold increase compared to the same period last year.

In Quang Ninh province , international cruise ships have been continuously bringing thousands of tourists to Ha Long Bay in recent times. It is projected that in 2024, approximately 60 luxury cruise ships with 80,000 international tourists will be scheduled to dock at Ha Long Bay port.

Similarly, Phu Quoc has continuously welcomed cruise ships and luxury yachts carrying many high-class passengers who come to visit, have fun, and shop on the pearl island.

International tourists arrive in Vietnam by cruise ship. Photo: Hoai Nam

Specifically, on February 2nd, Phu Quoc welcomed the 5-star cruise ship Costa Serena carrying approximately 1,100 international tourists to visit the island. Following that, on February 9th, Phu Quoc welcomed the cruise ship Aida Bella carrying nearly 2,000 European tourists to visit Phu Quoc National Park.

According to information from the Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism, from the beginning of 2024 to the present, Nha Trang Bay (Khanh Hoa) has welcomed 10 cruise ships bringing more than 20,750 tourists. It is expected that in 2024, approximately 43 international cruise ships will choose Nha Trang Bay as a destination to bring tourists ashore for sightseeing and enjoyment.

According to Nguyen Thanh Luu, General Director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, in the first two months of 2024 alone, the company successfully served more than 10 international cruise ships carrying over 30,000 international tourists to Vietnam, a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2023. It is projected that the number of international tourists arriving in Vietnam by cruise ship in 2024 will increase by 10-15% compared to 2023.

Explaining the reasons why the tourism industry welcomes a large number of international tourists to Vietnam by cruise ship, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Vietnam Institute for Tourism Development Research, said that Vietnam has a favorable geographical location on the region's maritime transport routes, possesses a long coastline of 3,260km, and more than 4,000 islands... these are conditions that can make it a cruise tourism center of Asia.

Famous coastal tourist destinations in Vietnam such as Ha Long - Cat Ba, Son Tra - Hoi An, Nha Trang - Cam Ranh, Phan Thiet - Mui Ne, Phu Quoc… all have the potential to compete with coastal tourist destinations in the region and Asia to attract cruise ship tourists. “Coastal tourism has developed rapidly in recent years, becoming one of the strongest growth sectors, contributing to the development of Vietnamese tourism and enhancing its brand image in the international market,” Mr. Tuan said.

There is still much work to be done.

Although Vietnam has many advantages for developing this type of tourism, it lacks adequate port infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and high-quality shopping facilities to cater to high-spending customers.

According to Nguyen Tien Dat, Director of AZA Travel, cruise ship passengers currently spend around $100 per person during their time ashore. However, Vietnam's shopping malls are currently only mid-range compared to other countries in the region, and are not yet attractive enough to the high-spending international tourist segment.

"If tourists only stroll around, watch water puppetry, buy a few souvenirs, and then leave, the tourism and trade sectors will miss out on revenue from this source. Therefore, in the coming time, the industry and trade sector should focus on attracting investment capital to build and upgrade supermarket systems into hypermarkets," Mr. Dat suggested.

Similarly, Lux Group Chairman Pham Ha shared that currently, most of Vietnam's seaports primarily serve import and export of goods, leading to passenger ships having to give way to cargo ships, thus failing to meet the requirements for high-end passenger services. In addition, services such as dining, shopping, and entertainment also do not meet the diverse needs of tourists.

To professionally exploit and develop this type of tourism, tourism experts suggest that localities need to assess the potential for cruise tourism development, and then develop appropriate investment strategies, from port infrastructure and services to attractions and tours.

Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Vu The Binh, suggested that local authorities should broaden the concept of cruise tourism products towards sustainable development. Specifically, they should strongly develop inland and international ports, organize numerous seaside resorts with good infrastructure, thereby attracting tourists to visit Vietnam by cruise ship multiple times instead of just once. Furthermore, they should develop coastal tourism routes to create unique and innovative tourism products for each locality.

"To achieve this, the tourism industry needs a plan for developing cruise tourism. In addition, it's necessary to select strategic, large-scale investors to build high-end entertainment and shopping centers, so that tourists don't 'bring their money in and then take it back home'," Mr. Binh emphasized.

From the perspective of tourism businesses, Le Hong Thai, Director of Hanoitourist Travel Company, believes that relevant agencies also need to have a more flexible visa policy. Specifically, they suggest improving immigration procedures for cruise ship tourists by issuing group visas to all passengers, thereby minimizing administrative procedures and avoiding inconvenience for tourists.

Therefore, developing cruise tourism requires state management agencies and businesses to build a comprehensive strategy and propose policies to more effectively exploit the "gold mine" of this type of tourism.

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