A bird’s eye view of Dien Bien (Photo: VietnamPlus) Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) is assisting the northwestern province of Dien Bien to promote its tourism image and the Visit Vietnam Year 2024 at domestic and international forums and events, according to VNAT Vice Director Ha Van Sieu.
In an interview with VietnamPlus, Sieu mentioned specific activities that the VNAT has implemented to accompany Dien Bien, the host of the Visit Vietnam Year 2024, in organising the biggest tourism event of the year.
Reporter: Could you please name specific activities that the VNAT has implemented to support Dien Bien in preparing for the Visit Vietnam Year 2024 as well as the celebration of the 70-year Dien Bien Phu Victory?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: Choosing Dien Bien as the host of the Visit Vietnam Year 2024 is an initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The VNAT and Dien Bien are working together to prepare activities throughout 2024 as well as measures to promote potential and advantages for the development of the Dien Bien tourism.
The authority has supported Dien Bien through introducing and promoting the locality’s image at many international forums and events.
VNAT Vice Director Ha Van Sieu (Photo: VietnamPlus) Most recently, in January, Dien Bien and the Visit Vietnam Year 2024 were introduced at the ASEAN Tourism Forum held in Laos. The Visit Vietnam Year along with the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory will be the running theme of the year associated with other unique values of culture, people, and nature of the heroic northwestern region, thus creating new tourism products that the VNAT is implementing to attract tourists to Dien Bien.
Reporter: Along with support in tourism promotion as you said, what has the VNAT done to prepare infrastructure to welcome a large number of tourists expected in 2024 when this is still a weakness of the northwestern province?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: The VNAT has worked with Dien Bien on various solutions, including lengthening tourist stays, regulating the number of the tourists before and after each event, and guiding local residents in engaging in the accommodation network, so that tourists can stay in nearby areas and homestays in peak times.
The authority has also assisted Dien Bien in certifying standardised tourist sites and accommodation facilities, thus getting ready for events and preparing good services for visitors joining the Visit Vietnam Year - Dien Bien 2024.
Reporter: Dien Bien has more advantages compared to other regional localities thanks to the operation of an airport. So what does the VNAT expect in the breakthrough growth of Dien Bien after the Visit Vietnam Year 2024?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: We often say that 2024 is the year of Dien Bien tourism. The phrase Dien Bien or activities associated with Dien Bien will be mentioned a lot, while the love for Dien Bien will be turned into actions. In particular, the air route to this locality has been upgraded, along with the investment in highways, helping Dien Bien become a star of the northwestern region.
All necessary conditions to promote Dien Bien tourism development are being significantly improved. This is an opportunity from the Visit Vietnam Year that Dien Bien must seize to create a breakthrough growth for local tourism in particular and Northwest tourism in general.
With the engagement of the local administration, residents, and businesses and connections with other localities across the country, especially Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and the Mekong Delta region, we expect a large number of travelers from the south.
Thanks to the airport, Dien Bien has become a gateway to the northwestern region and this potential will be optimised. Unique tourism products of the region in general and Dien Bien in particular will be promoted. We hope that 2024 and 2025 will be a stepping stone for the growth of the number of the tourists to Dien Bien and the northwestern region.
Reporter: The effect of the relaxed visa policy has helped Vietnam lure more than 1 million foreign visitors in the last months of 2023 and early 204. How do you evaluate this result and what will be done to attract more tourists to the Visit Vietnam Year - Dien Bien 2024?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: It can be seen that signs of strong and positive growth have been seen in the number of international visitors to Vietnam. In January, Vietnam welcomed over 1.5 million international arrivals, equal to the highest month of 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. One of the important factors behind this result is an open, smooth, and friendly visa policy that is praised by international friends, creating favourable conditions for tourists to access Vietnamese destinations.
Ban (bauhinia) flowers is typical for the northwest in general and Dien Bien in particular (Photo: VietnamPlus) We believe that the visa policy is a necessary condition and we will have to continue to be more open and easy. However, the important conditions that need to go hand in hand with a visa are service quality, diversity as well as connectivity, and the attractiveness of new destinations to satisfy visitors’ needs. In particular, the post-pandemic habit of tourists is very different from before with a change in spending and consumption structure. Therefore, new tourism products must also adapt to that change.
We can no longer offer customers the services like before, but need to satisfy their practical needs. Tourists now only choose to use essential services and tourism products that truly touch emotions and have sustainable value such as green, environmentally friendly tourism, and healthy tourism.
The tourism sector of Vietnam should have its policy renovated to develop new products to meet the demand of customers, while applying technologies to promote smart tourism. With these factors, Dien Bien’s tourism will thrive and lure a large number of domestic and foreign travelers.
Reporter: What do you recommend for tourist attractions to ensure a sustainable environment?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: Tourist attractions should design strategies to adapt to new trends following State orientations of digitalisation and environmentally friendly activities. They need competent human resources to meet these requirements during management.
We recommend that tourist sites and localities invest in technology in the management of tourism services and products, with a focus on the green, clean, and healthy factors. Particularly, the application of technologies will meet the demands that only artificial intelligence and interactive technology can satisfy.
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