A recent survey by the Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme management board found that “Vietnam is not attractive enough to gain stable repeat business.”
The survey, based on interviews with 3,000 tourists in Sapa, Ha Long, Hue Danang and Hoi An, revealed that only 6% of foreigners were returning for a second time, reports TTR Weekly.
Things were a bit different for domestic visitors with 24% making return visits and 13% their third.
The survey follows a recent statement from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism which said that there had been a 11.1 percent annual drop in tourist arrivals this year.
Carried out from March to April and July to August this year, it also found that tourists stay longer in Hoi An and Danang than in Sapa, Ha Long and Hue.
“On average, they stay around four and a half nights at the two central destinations, while only one and a half to two and a half nights at the three other places,” wrote the travel site.
Tourists said that the most important points that determine satisfaction are: natural landscape and the environment, catering services, climate and hotel services.
Perhaps it’s surveys like this that lead tourism officials to approve plans for cable cars through some of the country’s most pristine natural wonders.
[Image via Mor]
