Last Thursday, Saigon authorities met with local travel firms to discuss how to attract seven million international visitors by the end of this year.
According to Tuoi Tre, the southern hub is looking to create unique tourism products that can attract long visits and return trips, including promoting MICE – meetings, incentives, conferences and events – tour elements that will bring large groups together for a specific, usually business, purpose.
In addition, a new tourism development strategy may result in two events a month and more must-visit attractions like a culinary street or town of traditional medicine stores in the city, reports the news source.
However, industry insiders shared at the meeting that while MICE is promising, Saigon is not yet ready due to the current lack of resources and infrastructures.
Tao Van Nghe, chairman of the city’s hotel association, admitted: “It is not easy to receive more than 1,000 visitors at a time.”
“First we have to have a sufficient supply of five-star hotel rooms and accomplish other demanding logistic tasks,” he added.
Deputy Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Travel Association Nguyen Thi Khanh was less optimistic about the ambitious goal: “The reality is that travel firms in Ho Chi Minh City are still struggling to persuade guests to stay for even just three days.”
She added that many visitors just “wanted to leave after their first day here”.
However, tourism experts at the forum agreed that the next step would be seeking feedback from international visitors and foreign experts to assess Saigon’s current tourism situation.
Between January and March, Saigon received more than 1.5 million international visitors, a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2016.
[Photo via Forbes]
