Hanoi Business Tourism: High Potential

 

It can be said that business tourism is a very important activity in the integration process. This sector is developing rapidly in the world, but in Vietnam, it is not concerned enough so its profit does not deserve its potential.

 

In recent years, in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi - the political, economical and cultural centre of the country, this sector has become more and more concentrated and developed. In fact, a number of hotels, Hanoi accommodations have mainly greeted their businessmen in recent years. Specifically, in 2010, Hanoi held 60 large international conferences and hundreds of international meetings, and 55 percent of them were organized in hotels, and 25 percent of them in Vietnam National Convention Centre. A large number of tourists have brought a considerable profit for Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular. Besides foreign tourists, there are many native ones, who move to Hanoi for conferences or official businesses from nearby provinces. Nevertheless, most of services for official passengers only are only severed during the conferences, meetings or incentive groups (encouragement tour), and it services are not enough diversified. This factor means a limit for business tourism improvement of the capital.

 

In fact, business tourists are at high class and have stable income, huge knowledge and high norm of expense, so they often use high quality services, accommodate in modern hotels. In order to urge the development of business tourism, Hanoi needs to control and maintain quality of hotels, diversify tourism services. Specifically, it needs to extend high quality services attached with conferences and meetings. Furthermore, Hanoi should seek for new locations, new ideas to organise events, replace locations in crowded areas with locations placed in new green, fresh atmosphere, eco, and traditional cultural areas. Moreover, organizers of conferences and events must possess a specific range of knowledge and understandings about relevant social - economic sectors and differential management methods.

 

Moreover, promotion and advertisement activities must be implemented. In addition to the propaganda and promotion activities of Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hanoi capital, hotels must also take part in these activities. The propaganda and promotion activities must be carried out in many different channels, and their tourism services also are increasingly offered to tourists. Furthermore, the responsibility of enterprises needs to be mentioned. Enterprises which want to attract business tourists to their hotels need to improve their propaganda, promotion, open websites...

 

Learning experiences of neighbouring countries about this matter is also another solution. Some countries in the region, such as Thailand, Singapore... have well realized business tourism promotion. Currently, Thailand exhibition industry has become a leader in the ASEAN countries with 80 large events each year. The Free Trade Area in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is expected to be fulfilled in 2015, and it will surely push up the potential of trade and tourism among Vietnam and Thailand through exhibitions., Vietnamese enterprises and entrepreneurs may use these exhibitions, fairs, events, conferences in Thailand as a leverage to stimulate trade relationship in general and tourism promotion in particular.

 

Business tourism development of the capital is one of important tasks of the department. In the yearly promotion programmes, out of pictures propaganda of Hanoi capital, the department also coordinates with some particular promotion products for tourism enterprises. For instance, these products include some specialized space for Hanoi destinations, list of tourism units, list of hotels located in the capital... Additionally, these promotions and facilitations for official tourism activities are linked with all of the tourism advertisement programmes. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hanoi has created most favourable conditions for enterprises who stand to hold large international events, such as conferences of APEC, ASEM, ASEAN...

 

The department has also frequently required, examined, encouraged tourism units, especially accommodation facilities to enhance their quality. Business tourism development does not need to have its own strategy, but it must be linked with tourism promotion activities. Hotels also actively search and develop their own markets.

However to achieve good results, through communication channels, enterprises have to self-advertise their particular products in tourism exhibition of Hanoi to localities.