5:25:50 PM | 29/3/2012
Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has signed tourism cooperation agreements with 10 other provinces and cities in Vietnam. In the years to come, a series of joint programmes and promotion activities will be launched to make tourism a spearhead economic sector for the capital city. Vietnam Business Forum discussed these efforts with Mr Truong Minh Tien, Deputy-Director of Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Thu Huyen reports.
Hanoi plans to develop cooperation with other provinces and cities to promote tourism, can you give us more details on this cooperation?
Linkage in tourism is normal cooperation between provinces and cities. In the past, Hanoi tourism has established links with Haiphong, Quang Ninh, Lao Cai, and especially Da Nang, to develop tourism. Hanoi has cooperated with many programmes of Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, bringing Hanoi tourists totheInternational Fireworks Festival, a special product of Da Nang, and to famous destinations in the Da Nang region. Other programmes such as street music and songs, and sea festivals have also been included in tours from Hanoi. Da Nang has developed many new tourist products attracting large numbers of tourists. Meanwhile, Hanoi has also benefited from the link, bringing tourists to visit Hanoi. In its summer programmes, Hanoi Tourism focuses on famous destinations of Da Nang such as Ba Na Hill, Ngu Hanh Son coastline, Son Tra Peninsula, Da Nang Museum, Dong Dinh Museum, helicopter tours and sea sports, together with Da Nang gastronomy, especially Xu Quang delicacies.
Besides linkages, what will be the main tourism strategies of Hanoi in the years to come?
Products of Hanoi tourism focus on the 1000 year old culture, distinguishing the city from other regions and the world. In the years to come, Hanoi will develop tourism around the Giong Festival, Thang Long Royal Citadel, Temple of Literature, and Hanoi old streets. Hoan Kiem district plans to expand the week-end outdoor pedestrian market around Hoan Kiem Lake and old streets. Craft villages such as Bat Trang ceramics, Van Phuc silk and others in surrounding areas will be planned and open for investments to attract tourists.
Hanoi is famous for its intangible cultural heritage: Hanoi gastronomy has become a factor quite attractive to visitors. It is also strong in eco-tourism, with time-out recreation centres in Soc Son, Ba Vi, etc. We also plan to develop high-class tourist products in the city.
However, the average stay in Hanoi is only 2.1 days, with average spending of only US$93 a day. Hanoi should increase the quality of destinations and services, and build more high-quality recreation centres to attract tourists. This will build our potential to promote Hanoi tourism in the years to come.
One recent improvement is to attach quotations to the street signs. What has the impact of this been?
In fact, this is an experiment and has brought some results. The quotations remind citizens, especially the young generations, as well as tourists of the history, tradition and culture in this area. Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will draw on this experience and expand the programme to other parts of the city.
To increase its efficiency, Hanoi may have brief quotations in both Vietnamese and English.
To achieve those goals, how will you improve human resources development?
The development of human resources for tourism is important both for Hanoi and all of Vietnam. There must be a legal framework for tourist companies and travel agencies to train their staff in accordance with general requirements. Steps will be taken to meet the standards with high professionalism and international quality.
For their parts, offices and agencies will operate in accordance with general regulations to grant business licenses and determine the grade of hotels, for example. It is our hope that Hanoi and other parts of Vietnam will apply the general regulations to promote tourism.
In the time being, Hanoi organizes training programmes to upgrade its workforce and hopes that in future the local labour pool will have the expertise to meet the demands of development and international integration. It will attract more Vietnamese and foreign tourists to the capital city. This important issue has been included in the recently approved “Development plan of Vietnam tourism to 2020 and vision of 2030.”
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