Making Tourism Leading Economic Sector

Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism has really thrived and achieved many positive results in the face of numerous many difficulties in the way. Promising ideas have also been effectively realized to make tourism one of five economic locomotives of the province as defined by the resolution of the 7th Provincial Party Congress, especially high-quality tourism development.

Positive growth

Ba Ria - Vung Tau province significantly helps boost the country's tourism industry because very few other provinces have rivers, sea, mountains, hot springs and special national historical sites at the same to develop tourism. After being hit by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has made every effort to start a tourism restoration plan where all safety criteria are met to live with COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Do Phuoc Trung, Deputy Director of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Tourism Department, said, "After two years of moderate operation and hibernation due to the COVID-19 epidemic, Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism is reviving strongly.” Specifically, the sector has welcomed 4,808,436 visitors this year, fulfilling 151.07% of the yearly plan and achieving 10.29% higher than a year earlier. A total of 1,113,289 visitors spent their time on serviced accommodations, equal to 90.29% of the yearly plan and up 11.26% year on year. Particularly, international arrivals reached 69,789, equal to 89.47% of the full-year plan and up 12.66% year on year.

Creating a magnet to draw visitors

He said, COVID-19 pandemic has negatively hurt the tourism industry but also provided opportunities and opened up new innovative directions. Therefore, its tourism sector has also changed its direction to create opportunities and achieved remarkable values. Ensuring epidemic safety and providing information about tourist security and safety is top concerns. Beside short self-organized travelling trends (self-drive, self-catering accommodation) in small groups, travelers tend to opt for new natural destinations, leisurely experiences and culinary culture to avoid crowded contact. Tourism service providers are applying information technology to safety management and providing contact-limited services such as online booking, online payment, automatic vending, artificial intelligence (AI) in reception and voiceovers.

Being aware of this, when the COVID-19 epidemic was basically controlled, the tourism sector advised the Provincial People's Committee to launch many tourism communication and promotion efforts by participating in domestic tourism promotion events. The sector also worked with the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Tourism Association to encourage and mobilize local tourism service businesses to launch stimulus packages, promotion programs and new premium products to welcome tourists. In 2022, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has focused on the domestic market, targeting at cooperation with travel firms in Southeast, Southwest and Central Highlands regions to attract tourists with many preferential programs. “Besides, we have built cooperation programs with local travel agencies, hotels and tourism service providers to build package tours and travel service packages in the province, then providing better advice and service to visitors. Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism has also closely linked with Ho Chi Minh City to welcome and serve international tourists from HCM City to Ba Ria - Vung Tau,” Trinh Hang, Director of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Tourism Department said.

Currently, the province is trying to organize training courses for tourism workers to improve behavior, water accident emergency, information technology application, food hygiene and safety, restaurant and hotel management and tour guide; and gradually completing digitizing QR codes for relics, scenic spots and tourist attractions. In particular, the province is creating a favorable environment for businesses and the community to develop tourism by further reviewing and reducing the time to settle tourism administrative procedures and apply information technology to settlement of administrative procedures for enterprises and investors. Additionally, Ba Ria - Vung Tau is forecast to continue to receive a great number of tourists and the tourism sector needs locally distinctive features to woo visitors. This is not only an inevitable trend but also an important catalyst to promote the strong development of tourism economy and become a bright spot in world class tourism service.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum