Attracting Tourists from Nordic Countries

11:07:56 AM | 12/11/2014

Northern Europe is one of the key partners in the development of economy, society and an important source market of Vietnam tourism. Since May 2005, citizens from four Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) have been officially exempted from entry visa into Vietnam for periods not exceeding 15 days. Recently, the number of tourists from Northern Europe to Vietnam has continued to increase. In the first 10 months of 2014, Vietnam welcomed 80,000 Nordic visitors including 23,339; 19,240; 26,077 and 11,159 visitors from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, respectively.
 
Representatives of a number of Nordic travel agencies said that Vietnamese market has always been appreciated and got the attention of Northern European tourists thanks to the good impression of wild beauty, originality of landscape, extraordinary cuisine and the friendliness and hospitality of the people of Vietnam. Besides, the development of modern and vibrant cities of Vietnam has attracted tourists from Northern Europe. Nordic businesses wish to expand cooperation with Vietnam tourism businesses to promote Nordic tourists to Vietnam and vice versa. In the coming time, Vietnam should invest in developing infrastructure while ensuring preservation of original beauty, training human resources and improving the quality of service for tourists for tourism to develop in a sustainable way.
 
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, in collaboration with the Embassy of Vietnam in the United Kingdom of Great Britain, held a conference to promote tourism in the European market. Leaders of many Vietnamese diplomatic missions in Europe, representatives from Vietnam Airlines in Europe, a number of travel companies in the UK and Vietnamese tourism companies and firms tourism Vietnam's in London to attend the World Travel Market attended the conference.
The comments at the conference indicated that there should be a coordinating mechanism for Vietnam's tourism promotion activities in Europe, to be included in the plan of each representative agency on the continent. Tourism promotion activities should have focus and be held regularly.
 
To attract foreign tourists, the tourism industry of Vietnam should use simple slogans which are easy to remember and maintained for many years. Likewise, promotional events should be held regularly at a certain venue and time of the year for foreigners interested to visit Vietnam.
 
Representing more than 8,000 Vietnamese students studying in the UK, the President of the Vietnam Union of Students in the UK expressed willingness to contribute their youth in activities to promote Vietnam's tourism to international friends through arts and cultural activities organized at the schools they were attending, with a view to make international students aware of and choose Vietnam in their journey to discover the world.
 
Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan appreciated the comments at the meeting. He stressed that with determination to promote European tourism market, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism would soon establish a coordination committee to implement the plan for the 2015-2017 period, contributing to its target of welcoming 9 million international tourists in 2020.
 
Thanh Nga