Self-governing to Assert Brand Name

 

This urgent solution aims at attracting international tourists and promoting the domestic tourism industry. Nevertheless, such macro solution may fall into “the mountain labored and brought forth a mouse” situation or useless if tourism businesses fail to control the quality of their products and services.

In the very first days of the year, good signals have been seen in Vietnam’s tourism industry when it received a number of about 8,000 international tourists which is higher than last year. The most favorite destinations are Ha Long Bay, Hue and Hoi An… Entertainment places in Mekong Delta or even in a remote area like Phu Quoc island also attracted a big amount of tourists, some even obtained an increase of over 40 percent. Vietnam is expecting, in high spirit, to reach the target of 4.5 million visitors in the year 2009.

This positive signs can not be deemed as immediate results of the sale promotion programme named “Vietnam Impression” which is under implementation and planned till September. Under this programme, hotels and airline agencies commit a discount of 30- 50 percent. At present, nearly 100 international travel agents, hotels, transport agents and shops have so far involved in this programme and have announced 99 products offered for sale promotion applied to tourists from France, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, ASEAN countries, China and Japan.

The programme is considered as a starting action of the tourism industry and as a step in the regional integration. In the short-time, tourism businesses may suffer revenue decrease. However, the programme is really in need to heighten Vietnam’s tourism industry’s competitiveness in the context where the world tourism is now suffering bad impacts posed by the global financial crisis. Taking part in the programme, businesses shall take the chance to show their economic potential, prestige and brand.

In reality, quality of Vietnam’s tourism services remains poor. As reported by the National Administration of Tourism, 70 percent of international tourists have no intention to come back Vietnam. They have low satisfaction for visits paid to Vietnam than to other countries in the region. Vietnam’s tourism industry has so far evaluated its development by the increase in number of tourists, not in the service quality. Whereas, it is the quality that helps the industry achieve sustainable development and high revenue.

It is really a big challenge to carry out such a nationwide sale promotion programme while improving quality of tourism products and services. Previously, Vietnam’s tourism businesses did not reach a common voice and not realise the importance of creating competitiveness advantages by force-combination. The discount programme has been vaguely carried out. It is worried that some businesses may implement the programme in a formalistic way by cutting down their operation or products, then clients shall benefit nothing from the discount.

For this reason, leaders of the tourism industry have many times underlined that businesses must commit improving their services’ quality when conducting discount or sale promotion programmes.

 

Tourism services’ quality plays the key role in creating prestige and brand name for each business and for the whole industry. To affirm the brand name of a business is to control its quality, provide new products, improve skills of staffs involved as well as save costs and other unnecessary stages. More inspection and examination should be taken by State administrative bodies to consider practical operation of tourism businesses and to provide strict sanctions applied to those violating regulations on tourism quality.

Vietnam “Tourism Hen” will “lay golden eggs” when it knows how to combines forces to affirm its quality and brand. (VoV)