Published on : Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Vietnam is observing a slight setback in its tourist arrival as international tourists have dropped from 10.6 per cent compared to the same time, Jan-Feb in the previous year.
Tour operators in Vietnam feel that the reason for this sudden downward plunge is due to the polluted environment and insufficient support information given to tourists. River tours in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang are in a dismal state and have to be pulled up to attract positive tourism.
The situation is getting worst as lack of facilities are discouraging tour operators. The number of international tourists is sadly falling. Most guides who take a handful of tourists on river trips engage themselves in playing with their smartphones instead of sharing interesting anecdotes with their guests. Travel And Tour World, the international business travel e-zine requested some tour operator to offer insights on the Perfume River Cruise last year, but sadly none responded to our request. There is a definite lack of interest from tour operators as well.
Tourists are not given the services they were offered till last year where the rush was much more than this year. Also the boats need a change as they are almost two decade old and international tourist expect more for the price they are paying on boat trips.
Many tourists feel that the lack of infrastructure is the principal reason why tourist will not feel like returning to Vietnam. Sapa, Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in the north, to Hue and Hoi An in the central region are beautiful places and the Vietnam tourism is organising many road shows to attract tourists. But tourists complain that the beautiful landscapes of Vietnam are sadly polluted.
You will find rubbish floating on the UNESCO recognised Ha Long Bay and the streets of Hanoi could do with a bit of cleaning to attract discreet travellers.
The countries tourism products are too outdated compared to the other Southeast Asian countries. Very little information is available to international tourists and tourists are hounded by street peddlers where ever they go. Using public transport is also quite challenging for tourists.
Vietnam has not upgraded their tour programs for years compared to their neighbouring countries. Poor marketing campaign and lack of knowledge of the attractions in Vietnam is largely responsible for its fall in numbers feel tourism companies.
Vietnam Tourism is however planning a lot of road shows in India and trying to woo Indian tourists. But for targeting the international market it will definitely need to focus on its infrastructure.
Tags: Ha Long Bay in the north, hanoi, Hue and Hoi An, mekong delta, Perfume River Cruise, sapa, tien giang, vietnam
|
||
   
|
||
