Constantly Self-Improving to Keep Visitors

Considered the first tourism city of the country, Ba Ria - Vung Tau has a long history of tourism development. Located on the coast of the East Sea with a long coastline Ba Ria - Vung Tau has advantages in developing the smokeless industry; welcoming about 10 million visitors annually. To meet the increasing demand of tourists, Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism has been self-improving to bring the best service; striving towards the goal of high quality tourism, limiting to the maximum the overcharging travellers. To learn more about the efforts of Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism, Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Ho Van Loi, Director of the Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Duy Anh reports.

Under the leadership of the Provincial People’s Committee, the People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee, in recent years, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has advised and organised many activities to attract many tourists, from both inside and outside the country, come to participate and enjoy, also to promote and introduce the province's tourism image, such as: Opening Festival of Culture and Tourism, International Kite Festival, Women’s Beach Volleyball, etc. These events have brought positive results, developing reputation as well as raising the province's tourism brand.

 

However, the Department’s leadership and also I myself still feel concerned for the development of the province's tourism in the future. We can see that the current economic situation in the world remains complicated, likely to affect the national economy in general and Ba Ria - Vung Tau particular; especial it would cause difficulties for the province to mobilise the socialisation of big activities of culture, sport and tourism. Also, even though the number of visitors to Ba Ria - Vung Tau has been annually increasing, tourism revenue is still lower than spending power of tourists due to the fact that most are one-day tourists and therefore not spend much. On the other hand, Ba Ria - Vung Tau yet to have tourism products of specific characteristics, attractive enough to keep visitors stay for a long time. This is a great concern for myself as well as the provincial leadership, how to develop tourism commensurate with its existing strengths and potential. For the near future, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will focus on researching and calling for investment to create new products, making a strong impression as well as effective responses to the increasing demands of tourists.

Sticking to the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Provincial Committee, the People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism have been proactively planning and implementing key tourism tasks of 2015 such as: the management of tourism business activities, planning and investment; the promotion of tourism; the management of tourism environment; the administrative reform regarding provincial tourism. Besides, 14 topics of the Steering Committee for Ba Ria - Vung Tau tourism development will have projects built and will be will also help develop the provincial tourism to be more attractive in the eyes of travellers.

Also the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has been cooperating closely with concerned departments and agencies to improve state management responsibility; guide and urge enterprises to comply with the rules on environmental sanitation, security and order, price stability to ensure the credibility of provincial tourism brand. Also encouraging tourism businesses to develop tourism products, expanding the market of international tourists, improving the quality of tourism services.

Lying on the southern continental shelf of the country, Con Dao assumes the role of security and defence outpost. It also has potential for natural resources and cultural and historical values conducive to developing tourism. With the advantage of tourism - service economy and the direction to bring Con Dao into a high quality national park, the district has been receiving support from the central and Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province in infrastructure construction and investors attraction. Thanks to that, over the years, the number of tourists to Con Dao increases 21 percent/ year on average; annually Con Dao receives about 90,000 visits. Particularly in 2014, Con Dao tourism welcomed over 100,000 tourists, reaching a VND358 billion revenue; thereby helping the economic structure steer to the right direction: service-tourism, industry-construction, agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

Identifying the key task for Con Dao is developing tourism, take tourism as the “axis” for the development of other economic sectors, Ba Ria - Vung Tau is speeding up the master plan on the development of Con Dao National Park to 2020, vision towards 2030. This master plan is set out and implemented in order to concretize the goals and directions of the Development Strategy for Vietnam's Tourism to 2030 and the Master Plan for tourism development in Vietnam to 2020 and vision towards 2030 and to create the basis for development investment management, business tourism, environment and tourism resources protection to develop Con Dao into a national park of high competitiveness, regionally and internationally. Through assessing the situation in order to meet the demand for Con Dao’s tourism development, we can see bottlenecks that should be removed in the overall planning of tourism development in the Master Plan for tourism development in Vietnam to 2020 and vision towards 2030 revolving around three main issues: the lack of transport connections between Con Dao and the mainland (only two main links by water and air); the limit of fresh water supply for development activities at Con Dao; the small land fund for tourism activities in Con Dao.

To untie those knots, the Provincial People’s Committee (PPC) has proposed that the government supplement the capital for the construction of axis road north of the district centre; upgrade Co Ong Airport; recover Vung Tau - Con Dao route; increase the number of flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao. Besides, on the basis of preferential policies approved by the government, the PPC has directed departments to develop preferential mechanisms and policies to attract foreign investment into infrastructure construction serving tourism and service development in Con Dao. Particularly, we will strengthen the connection between Con Dao town and other islands such as Hon Cau, Hon Bay Canh, Hon Ba, Hon Trung Lon and Hon Bong Lan to attract visitors.

 

As determining marine tourism as the key type of tourism, the province has had major policies to promote its’ development. Of which, the most important are some big master plans such as: the Master plan for the local tourism development to 2020 and vision towards 2030; the Planning for Long Hai - Phuoc Hai national park; the Planning for Con Dao development. These are strategic plans for the provincial tourism development in the future.

 

In addition, to raise the quality of tourism services, the provincial leadership will mobilize travel businesses to invest in infrastructure, creating new attractive products along side with improving the quality of existing products; Mobilising the people to maintain environmental hygiene; strictly handling violations, preventing problems with vendors bothering travellers. Besides, the province will enhance rescue service at the beaches and resorts, preventing drowning and protecting travellers. Issues like security, theft, overcharging will also be dealt with. All is for the purpose of strengthening the tourism environment and promoting provincial tourism industry to a new level in the coming years.