Thailand – the key market
Vice Chairman Hoang Hai Minh (far right) talking with the Thai famtrip group on the sidelines of the workshop
In addition to strengthening the connection between tourism businesses of Thua Thien Hue and Thailand, the workshop was an opportunity to share and remove obstacles to help stimulate the demand and promote the tourism development; attract tourists, especially international tourists; restore and maintain the Thai tourist market - one of 10 potential international tourist markets to Thua Thien Hue in the coming time.
After arriving at Phu Bai International Airport by the Bangkok-Hue-Bangkok charter flight on the afternoon of October 21, the Thai famtrip delegation visited and surveyed a number of destinations in the following days; tasted foods, and took a boat ride on the Perfume River and the City tour bus... These activities helped them understand more about the tourism of Hue Ancient Capital, with the five heritages recognized by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritages, including the Complex of Hue Monuments, Hue Court Music, the Woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty, the Documents of the Nguyen Dynasty, and the Royal Literature on Hue Royal Architecture.
As for Mr. Dinh Manh Thang - Chairman of the Provincial Tourism Association, Thua Thien Hue Tourism Association identified Thai market as a key one and wished to promote advertisement activities, especially the visual advertising, to attract more effectively Thai tourist market to Hue and vice versa. In addition, the Association hoped Thai tourism businesses promote the image of Thua Thien Hue province in Thailand, and organize more famtrip delegations to Hue to survey and connect with the Tourism Association and tourism businesses for cooperation opportunities in developing tourism programs and products.
Mr. Thang affirmed that he would work with the Travel Association, member associations and tourism businesses to develop a number of attractive tourism products, focusing on exploiting the strengths of Hue cultural heritage and coastal tourism, and producing stimulus packages to stimulate the market of Thai tourists to Hue.
“For an efficient promotion, the two Tourism Associations will jointly propose to the authorities to create all supporting conditions for businesses in their process of organizing tourism connections, and provide them with a mechanism to stimulate the source of tourists of each side. We will also recommend Thai VietJet airline to maintain charter flights with more favorable prices. Based on successful charter flights, we will coordinate and propose authorities and airlines to open commercial routes for a sustainable and proactive tourism development of the two sides,” said Mr. Thang.
Expanding charter routes and opening regular flights
Director of the Department of Tourism Nguyen Van Phuc introducing an overview of the featured tourism products and services along with the potential and advantages of Thua Thien Hue tourism
Briefly introducing to the delegation the featured tourism products and services, the potential and advantages of Thua Thien Hue tourism, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc - Director of the Department of Tourism, said that in recent years, the provincial tourism sector has coordinated with relevant authorities and tourism businesses to deploy many activities to connect and reopen the Thai tourist market to Thua Thien Hue, in which, focusing on exploiting the Thai tourist market to Hue by charter flights.
Currently, the Department of Tourism has set up a working group and coordinated with relevant agencies to develop an information system on receiving Thai tourists on charter flights to Thua Thien Hue for communicating, advertising destinations and promoting key and potential international tourist markets; focused on developing more tourism products; mobilized tourism enterprises to develop and prepare appropriate products for the needs and tastes of the Thai market; and supported tourism enterprises to advertise and promote tourism in potential markets and new markets...
After the successful Bangkok-Hue-Bangkok charter flight from October 21-24, the tourism sector will continue to proposing the expansion of charter tourists and routes connecting ancient capitals such as Ayutthaya (Thailand) - Hue, Hue - Luang Prabang (Laos), Hue - Siem Reap (Cambodia)... Thereby, the sector will promote and advertise the image of Thua Thien Hue tourism with the message of “Hue - A safe, friendly and hospitable destination”; introduce and promote local special tourist attractions and products, such as “Hue – the Culinary capital”, “Hue - Ao dai capital”, the art performance program of “Ao Dai Show”…; building cooperation relations between tourism enterprises in the province with leading enterprises and travel agencies in Thailand and ASEAN countries.
“Besides the direct charter flight connecting Thai tourist centers with Thua Thien Hue province, we are going to open weekly or monthly commercial flights, at the same time attract and transit foreign tourists through Thailand to the central region of Vietnam,” informed Mr. Phuc.
Spreading Hue tourism value to Thailand
The workshop attracting the attendance of more than 80 Hue tourism businesses and 20 Thai travel businesses
Sharing after his experiences in Hue, Mr. Wachira, a member of the Thai famtrip delegation, said that Hue tourism was focusing on exploiting its heritage, history and culture. This was a strength that needs further promotion activities. However, in order for visitors to have a new view of Hue, it would be necessary to combine and integrate a number of experience elements into tours, such as experiencing lifestyle and daily activities of Hue people. This would help visitors have more experiences and look forward to a long stay in Hue.
Appreciating some of Hue's tourism products and services, such as experiencing traditional Ao dai, cuisine, destinations, accommodation services, transportation and so on, Ms. Sanat Chan - President of Thai Travel Association shared that Thai tourists are one of the largest tourist markets of Vietnam, among which, tourists visiting the Central region accounts for about 60% of the market share. And with the strength of heritage, Hue tourism needs to add some new points of service _ to be listed as a 3-day itinerary, thereby increasing the number of tourists’ days of stay in Hue city.
Ms. Wiphanada - President of Thai Food & Tourism Association added that integrating the provision of agricultural products and specialties into the culinary supply chain for tourism services would create high value products.
“After an interesting experience in Hue, Thai Food & Tourism Association will include Hue cuisine and tourism in its promotion program in Thailand for a period of 3 months to create a continuous connection, through which, values of Hue tourism will be further spread. And this campaign will start today,” emphasized Ms. Wiphanada.
Story and photos: Han Dang