On August 28, Khanh Hoa province coordinated with the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City and related units to organize the India - Khanh Hoa Tourism Promotion Conference, within the framework of the Namaste Vietnam Festival 2024.
Potential tourist market of Khanh Hoa tourism
According to statistics from the relevant authorities, in 2023, Vietnam welcomed more than 392,000 Indian visitors; in the first 6 months of 2024, this number increased dramatically by 164% compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 231,000 visitors. However, in 2023, Khanh Hoa welcomed only more than 6,000 Indian visitors, and in the first half of 2024, the number of visitors was relatively positive but not commensurate with the potential.
Mr. Tushar Garg, Vice Consul of India in Ho Chi Minh City, said that Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa has many advantages to become a top tourist destination for the people of this country. "Khanh Hoa has beautiful landscapes, pristine beaches and vibrant culture,...", Mr. Tushar Garg said, every year, Indian people spend tens of billions of USD on tourism, mainly the middle class, often interested in travel, accommodation, relaxation and dining.
Khanh Hoa and India strengthen cooperation in tourism development. Photo: Duc Thao
In recent times, the number of visitors from India to Vietnam has increased rapidly, especially to famous tourist destinations with high-quality infrastructure such as Phu Quoc, Ha Long, Da Nang, etc., of which wedding tourism is popular - India's tourism industry is valued at up to 5 billion USD.
Further explaining, Mr. Abhineet Shukla, head of the Indian travel business delegation, said that the middle class of India prefers to experience high-quality services, but the most important thing to pay attention to is cuisine, because the Indian eating habits are quite diverse and complex, although most Indians eat meat but are "selective" due to religious issues. Regarding wedding parties, Indian tourists like to organize them in romantic spaces, with each party having 400-500 people, costing tens of millions of USD. Especially the spread of parties when rich Indians often invite famous actors, singers, and people with great influence.
Delegates discuss in the conference hallway, August 28. Photo: Duc Thao
Indian Vice Consul in Ho Chi Minh City Tushar Garg hopes that the Khanh Hoa provincial government will become a bridge connecting local tourism businesses with Indian tourism businesses, creating an "open mechanism" to welcome Indian tourists, and developing many other types of tourism such as MICE tourism, family groups or individual tourists. At the same time, the two sides need to study and develop types of health and yoga tourism; cultural exchange programs; eco-tourism;... based on existing common potentials to promote two-way tourism cooperation between the two countries, especially Khanh Hoa and India.
Proposal to open more direct flights from Khanh Hoa to India
Mr. Tran Minh Duc, Chairman of Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, said that the immediate thing to do to exploit the Indian tourism market is to open a direct flight connecting Khanh Hoa with this country. In terms of infrastructure conditions, tourism resources, the locality has been gradually affirming its quality, always ready to welcome tourists to visit and relax, gradually becoming an attractive tourist destination domestically and internationally.
“The biggest obstacle at present is aviation, as there are no direct flights from India to Khanh Hoa to facilitate tourists, although there are connecting flights from this country to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City,” Mr. Tran Minh Duc shared. Charter flights will be the first, followed by commercial flights when the number of passengers is good.
Indian tourists visit Ponagar Tower. Photo: Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism
At the conference, representatives of Vietnamese and Indian airlines discussed and researched the opening of direct flights from Indian localities to Khanh Hoa. In addition, tourism businesses from both sides discussed and developed specific tourism products that are suitable to the needs and tastes of the people of the two countries; policies to support travel businesses when bringing tourists to localities; organizing tours, cultural and culinary programs, etc.
Mr. Le Huu Hoang, Standing Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, said that the province will create favorable conditions for tourism development with India, growing faster than in previous years. At the same time, Khanh Hoa hopes to collaborate with Indian producers, directors and artists to introduce the province's culture and tourism in Indian cultural and cinematic products, first of all in the film "Love in Vietnam" - the first diplomatic cooperation film between Vietnam and India, scheduled to start filming in September this year.
In the first 8 months of 2024, Khanh Hoa welcomed more than 3.2 million international visitors, exceeding the plan set for the year by 6.7%. Photo: Duc Thao
India is currently the most populous country in the world with over 1.425 billion people, spending an estimated 42 billion USD on foreign tourism each year, a potential market not only for Vietnam but also for all countries in the world. The 2024 Vietnam Namaste Festival is an activity to promote cultural and tourism cooperation and promote the image between Vietnam and India. In Khanh Hoa, a delegation of Indian businesses and celebrities will visit and survey some famous tourist attractions in Nha Trang City.
Source: https://toquoc.vn/khanh-hoa-thuc-day-phat-trien-thi-truong-khach-du-lich-an-do-20240828154023247.htm
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