Foreign tourists buy souvenirs in Hue

Lack of products bearing Hue's mark

Before leaving Hue for Hanoi, Ms. Tran Kim Cuc struggled to choose a souvenir. Ms. Cuc said: “There are many items on the market, but it is difficult to choose, because many products are industrial products, originating from China. There are local products such as conical hats and Thanh Tien paper lotus flowers, but they are difficult to bring back because they are bulky and easily damaged.”

Hue is a favorite destination for many domestic and foreign tourists. The ancient capital is also home to many traditional craft villages, producing many handicraft products, but when it comes to souvenirs, tourists still assess that Hue is facing a situation of both excess and shortage.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tai, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, frankly said: “Hue in particular and many localities in the country in general are facing the same problem. Although there are many traditional craft villages, the souvenir market is currently dominated by foreign products. Souvenirs made by local people are difficult to compete in terms of price and sophistication. Moreover, they do not pay attention to the compact direction, lacking the characteristics of the destination.”

As a leader of a travel agency, often traveling to other countries, Ms. Duong Thi Cong Ly, Vice President of the Hue City Travel Association, Director of the Hue Branch of Vietnam - Hanoi Tourism Joint Stock Company, said that the souvenir market in Hue has not yet met the needs of tourists. According to Ms. Ly, tourist souvenirs need to ensure 3 factors: Price, form (including compactness) and unique cultural features. Souvenir products in Hue are facing problems related to the above 3 factors. Experience when traveling to other countries shows that they exploit the characteristics of the destination to do tourism and communication very well. For example, in Malaysia, the image of the Petronas Twin Towers - the iconic architecture of Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia is exploited to make souvenirs in many items, from key chains, nail clippers, etc. Every time you get on the bus, the tour guide will introduce the souvenir products of the other country. Similarly, Korea, China, Japan and many other countries have souvenirs to promote the image of their destinations. They "breathe" interesting stories into the souvenirs and tourists will feel like buying that item.

A representative of a travel agency in Hue said that on Christmas and New Year, the agency often gives gifts to Western guests. However, when consulting with the head office, many items were mentioned, but in the end, they still could not choose, so they had to order souvenirs from Hanoi. This is a very worrying reality.

Ms. Ho My Lien Hanh, a tour guide in Hue, shared that many tourists to Hue often choose culinary specialties: sesame candy, fish sauce... as gifts rather than souvenirs. The reason is because conical hats and some other souvenirs are large in size, difficult to pack and transport. Many other items are not typical of Hue so they are memorable and when returning, visitors can introduce "I just went to Hue".

From an artistic perspective, Mr. Vo Quang Phat, Vice Principal in charge of the University of Arts, Hue University, said that Hue souvenirs lack novelty and creativity, applicability and popularity for tourists. Although artisans in Hue are skilled, souvenir products to serve tourists and bear the mark of Hue are still lacking. Although the Department of Industry and Trade has presided over and coordinated with the school to organize handicraft design competitions many times in the past, they have not been able to produce mass-produced products to serve tourists due to high prices and many other factors.

There should be research projects.

Gifts and souvenirs are one of the important factors contributing to creating the impression of the destination, increasing the attraction and appeal to tourists, and at the same time being a tool to promote the image of the destination. In the meeting to review the organization of the National Tourism Year - Hue 2025, Director of the Department of Performing Arts - People's Artist Xuan Bac also suggested that Hue should pay attention to souvenir specialties associated with the image of Hue, and special event programs to serve tourists.

According to Vice President of Hue City Tourism Association Duong Thi Cong Ly, Hue must select typical products, associated with the typical image of the locality to build souvenir products, and at the same time focus on promotion. Souvenir products not only serve commercial purposes but are useful tools for tourists to spread and promote the destination. Souvenir products must be delicately designed, compact, suitable for visitors to take home.

Tourism experts also suggest that, based on Hue's traditional craft villages, products should be made that focus on exploiting niche markets in consumption and promoting products associated with tourism activities. Typically, bronze casting villages, in addition to bells, bronze incense burners, and items serving spiritual rituals, can create compact souvenirs, exquisitely associated with Hue's culture and images.

Mr. Phat suggested that in the coming time, there should be research projects with the participation of experts and artisans of craft villages to have ideas and models of unique souvenir products for Hue. Those gifts should not only be for display but also be usable, meeting the requirements of sophisticated techniques, but also being competitive in price.

Article and photos: HUU PHUC

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/du-lich/qua-tang-luu-niem-du-lich-thua-ma-thieu-152836.html