Khanh Hoa Tourism: More Miracles Are Coming

6:14:51 PM | 16/5/2018

When Nguyen Tat Thanh coastal road to Nha Trang - Da Lat Highway is put into traffic and the international passenger terminal at Cam Ranh International Airport is put into operation, the tourism sector of Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa province will have more opportunities for development to create new miracles. Local authorities and people are eagerly waiting for breakthrough scenarios. In order to better understand local potential and investment policy aimed to catch this opportunity, we had an interview with Mr Tran Viet Trung, Director of Khanh Hoa Tourism Department. Phuong Hang reports.

Could you please describe the development achievements of the Khanh Hoa tourism industry?
Khanh Hoa enjoys outstanding natural advantages for tourism development, especially maritime tourism. In 2017, the province's tourism sector continued to achieve great success: Nearly 5.5 million tourist arrivals to the province, including over two million foreign tourists. In addition to enforcing regulations and instructive documents from different levels and branches, the tourism sector has intensified inspection and examination of law compliance among tourism companies in a bid to create a healthy business environment in the province and attract social capital for tourism infrastructure development investment.

To build the current tourism brand, what core factors have Khanh Hoa tourism sector focused on?
For long, tourism development has been a key task of the province, according to the Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee. Recently, the province issued Action Programme 14-CTr/TU implementing Resolution 08-NQ / TW on tourism development into key economic sector. The tourism sector also advised the Provincial People’s Committee to carry out action plans for the 2017 - 2020 period. Accordingly, some important projects have been launched, including the Khanh Hoa tourism development master plan to 2025 and to 2030; the Khanh Hoa tourism restructuring project; traditional cultural and arts value preservation and promotion plan for tourism development; and transport infrastructure development plan. Besides, Khanh Hoa province is studying tourism investment incentive policies for some areas like high-quality entertainment areas, cultural sightseeing and arts performance. At the same time, we also paid much attention to raising public awareness of the position and role of tourism; canvassing the public to keep security and order and protect the environment; uphold civilised and polite lifestyle, law observance and standard behaviours to tourists; and enhance awareness and responsibility of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa tourism brand protection and development.

In recent years, tourist arrivals from Western countries (the United States, the United Kingdom and France) plunged but tourists from China, South Korea and Russia soared. What do you think about this?
In 2017, Khanh Hoa received 5.45 million tourists, a year on year increase of 20.24 per cent, of which international tourist arrivals accounted for 2.03 million, up 68.9 per cent, including 1.2 million Chinese visitors and nearly 450,000 Russian visitors. These two markets accounted for about 74 per cent of total foreign visitors in Khanh Hoa. To ensure the balance of the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa tourist market and diversify international markets, the tourism sector has focused on carrying out a number of specific solutions. Accordingly, it will restructure the Chinese tourist market with a focus on attracting high income earners; attract more tourists from potential markets such as South Korea, Japan, Australia and Western European nations. In addition, the sector has deployed plans to carry out branding programmes to popularise the destination of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa. Specifically, in 2017, the sector organised many roadshow delegations concerning overseas tourism promotion and hosted famtrip delegations to Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa. Despite difficulties, the sector achieved good results. In the first three months of 2018, Khanh Hoa welcomed more than 13,800 South Korean tourists, an increase of more than 60 per cent over the same period in 2017.

With more tourists coming into the province, how has the Tourism Department focused on administration, operation and supervision of tourism companies, restaurants and hotels?
From July 2016 to March 2018, the department cooperated with relevant agencies to perform 320 inspection trips in 598 tourism and accommodation service companies. The province has issued many solutions to stabilise the international travel business; enhance the coordination of inspection, examination and settlement of violations; tighten State management of price, food hygiene and safety, service quality for tourists; and ensure tourist safety, social order and security. Apart from carrying out local projects, the sector will regularly organise dialogues and information exchanges between authorities and enterprises in order to promptly address difficulties and create a favourable environment for enterprises and communities to participate in tourism development.

Khanh Hoa province is expected to have more miraculous achievements in 2018 and beyond. How will the tourism sector grasp this opportunity?
Khanh Hoa is welcoming more international and domestic tourists, while hotel rooms are always short. In 2018, beside key projects such as international passenger terminal at Cam Ranh International Airport, the operation of important traffic infrastructure projects in Nha Trang, Cam Lam, Cam Ranh and Ninh Hoa will provide a chance for the local tourism sector to go far and create a stronger stepping stone for the real estate sector to affirm its solid position. The tourism sector of Khanh Hoa province targets to draw 8.5 million tourists, including 3.5 million foreigners by 2020, to make tourism a key economic sector and turn tourism into a motive force for socioeconomic development. To follow that path, reforming administrative procedures is an important factor for sector development. Accordingly, the sector will continue to effectively implement Resolution 35/NQ-CP, Directive 26/CT-TTg, and Action Programme 12-CT/TU to enhance the capacity and efficiency of State management. The sector continuously reviews and proposes plans for simplification of administrative procedures to reduce the time and composition of documents and settlement process; decentralise the power of handling administrative procedures according to the law; implement comprehensive and effective single-window mechanism under Decision 14/2015/QD-UBND of the Provincial People’s Committee by launching the electronic service of administrative procedures. With its clear direction and prominent advantages, Khanh Hoa is expected to become a new symbol and bring tourism to a new level in the world tourism map.

Thank you very much!