Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam's tourism industry stands at the threshold of aremarkable milestone, with experts asserting that an impressive figure of 14-15million foreign visitors could be achieved this year, provided unexpected issues arekept at bay.
Arecent survey conducted by Vietnam Report JSC has unveiled an optimisticoutlook, with 66.7% of businesses in the tourism and hotel industryexpressing confidence in more favourable prospects this year. Among them, 92.9% anticipate robust growth in revenue, while 85.7% foresee anuptick in both profit and visitor numbers.
Vu Dang Vinh, CEO of Vietnam Report, said theirconfidence is entirely justified, citing theimpact of the new visa policy effective since August 15, 2023. This policyallows electronic visas for tourists from all countries and extends visaexemptions for certain visitors to 45 days, up from the previous 15 days. As a result, thenumber of foreign arrivals exceeded 1 million in the last four months of theprevious year, far surpassing the initial plan.
Looking ahead, upto 92.9% of respondents view this policy as a "lever" crucial forsustaining the growth trajectory of Vietnam's tourism industry.
The hosting ofinternational tournaments, such as the VTV Cup International Women's VolleyballCup and the Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship, has played a crucialrole in bringing the images of Vietnam and its people closer to the globalaudiences. Complemented by accolades at the World Travel Awards ceremony, 85.7%of surveyed businesses emphasised the strategic importance of promotingVietnamese tourism through international events on culture, sports, festivalsand tourism exhibitions as a key recommendation for 2024.
Despite Vietnam'scommendable rise to the fourth position in Southeast Asia for tourist arrivals,World Data statistics revealed a challenge. While other countriesmaintain a certain threshold of average revenue per visitor, Vietnam has experienceda decline, slipping from the fifth to the sixth place. This is attributed to its emphasison developing local specialty stores rather than duty-free shopping centres, a trendthat the industry needs to reassess.
Vinh proposed a forward-looking solution,advocating for the establishment of factory outlets in duty-free zones. Thisstrategic move not only attracts a substantial customer base from Asiancountries but also mitigates the "currency bleeding" phenomenon,wherein Vietnamese tourists curtail overseas shopping expenditures, he said./.
