The Binh Thuan Tourism Association (BTA) has made concerted efforts to bolster the stature and brand of Binh Thuan tourism. With a resolute focus on fostering professional, eco-friendly tourism, BTA is collaborating with the government to instill confidence in investors and unlock the potential of green tourism in Binh Thuan province.
Binh Thuan’s tourism sector is attracting international Famtrip delegations for immersive visits and experiences, opening avenues for potential collaborative opportunities
Successful year in 2023
Binh Thuan’s natural landscapes, which include a 192-km coastline and numerous islands within its 52,000-km2 territorial waters, coupled with a series of infrastructure and transport projects, present significant opportunities for further development of its tourism sector. In the first half of 2023, Binh Thuan was among the nine largest provinces and cities in the country generating tourism revenue exceeding VND10 trillion (US$420 million). This substantial contribution played an important role in the country’s total tourism revenue of VND343.1 trillion (US$14.3 billion).
Reflecting on these achievements, BTA Chairman Nguyen Van Khoa said, “BTA consistently upholds its commitment to cooperate with localities in hosting a series of cultural and sports events to attract tourists. Concurrently, BTA is focused on overcoming challenges, upgrading and renovating facilities, fully equipping facilities, and strengthening training to enhance the quality of human resources and tourism products to better serve tourists.”
In 2023, the association effectively trained and developed tourism human resources in a professional, modern manner to meet tourists’ needs. For instance, in July, in collaboration with the SME Support Center, the association organized a training course on “Improving Human Resource Management Capacity” for 32 employees of BTA members. It also jointly conducted four training courses and workshops on expertise, service operations, and tourism. Businesses were sent to attend the training conference on “Digital Skills for Green Tourism Businesses” launched by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). In addition to centralized training, tourism facilities focused on fostering in-house training, collaborated with training facilities, or invited experts to teach skills and operations to their employees.
In 2023, Binh Thuan hosted the National Tourism Year themed “Binh Thuan - Green Convergence” and inaugurated the Dau Giay-Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet-Vinh Hao highways, providing significant opportunities for local tourism development. Consequently, right from the beginning of the year, BTA coordinated with the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to participate in domestic and international tourism fairs, events, and programs relating to the National Tourism Year 2023. BTA also attended the Tourism Development Connection Workshop themed “Sea and Flower Journey” of Lam Dong and Binh Thuan provinces, hosted and cooperated by the Departments of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the two provinces. It joined the Binh Thuan-Ninh Thuan cultural, sports, and tourism development support program for 2023-2025. BTA also met and worked with the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam on potential investment in tourism and regenerative capacity, received a delegation from Sokcho City (South Korea) on special cooperation in culture, sports, and tourism, and attended the workshop on “Attracting Overseas Vietnamese Resources for Tourism Development.”
In acknowledgment of the significant contributions made by BTA and various enterprises toward the triumphant execution of the National Tourism Year 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism conferred two certificates of commendation. Additionally, the Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee bestowed two certificates of distinction.
Methodical strategies
BTA Chairman Khoa said that contemporary tourists are increasingly prioritizing the quality of experiences at destinations, often extending their stay if they find the location offers intriguing discoveries. Consequently, eco-tourism and “green” tourism trends, which emphasize natural experiences, are gaining popularity. These trends necessitate not only localities but also tourism companies to stay abreast of new tourism development trends and invest more in sustainable tourism products and attractive services at destinations. In this context, BTA consistently strives to meet these criteria, creating a friendly and safe tourism environment for tourists by preserving and promoting the nation’s rich cultural heritage and traditional values.
Binh Thuan’s 192-km coastline and infrastructure projects offer great potential for tourism sector growth
In response to the green growth actions in Binh Thuan for the 2021-2030 period, BTA, its members, and the broader tourism business community will encourage each employee in tourism businesses to serve as a friendly and hospitable ambassador of Binh Thuan tourism. Concurrently, they will heed the call of the Binh Thuan Provincial People’s Committee to participate in environmental cleaning campaigns, including the “Clean Up Day Campaign” held on the first Thursday of each month. BTA member companies will also mobilize their resources to clean up and collect trash on roads and tourist attractions throughout the month. These meaningful actions not only promote the destination’s image but also foster environmental awareness within the community.
In the context of tourism recovery, the development of tourism human resources is a major focus. As per the strategic plan for 2024 and beyond, BTA and its members will concentrate on short-term training initiatives and closely collaborate with domestic and foreign entities to launch training courses on highly practical and specialized content. They will continue to research, conduct surveys, develop new tourism programs and products, and refresh existing tourism offerings. Ultimately, they will work toward community development, join forces to protect the natural and social environment, and aim to establish Mui Ne National Tourist Area as one of the leading destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.
By Cong Luan, Vietnam Business Forum
Vietnamese
October 2024
Hanoi