Cua Lo focuses on stimulating tourism in the 'low season'

“Get in the game” in a synchronized manner

Entering the Fall - Winter season every year, Cua Lo no longer has the vibrant days of festival atmosphere, crowded with tourists coming to swim and relax. The last 4 months of the year are the "low season" oftourismCua Lo in particular. The same is true in 2023. The problem for Cua Lo town tourism is how to attract tourists to the locality? To solve this problem, it requires the synchronous participation of all levels, sectors, organizations, businesses and people of the town.

At this time, Cua Lo is proactively seeking to attract domestic visitors to participate in cultural, sports, conference, seminar, and summary activities and attract out-of-province tourists to spiritual tourism to relics, temples, and pagodas at the end of 2023 and early spring 2024. The town has directed establishments to announce promotional packages on prices, room discounts, food and beverage prices, and commitments on service quality; businesses with advantages in convenient travel locations, large spaces, meeting rooms, and large banquet halls offer discounts and promotions on MICE and conference, wedding packages, etc. combined with beach resort tourism.

Mr. Pham Van Thuyen - Deputy Director in charge of business at Muong Thanh Grand Cua Lo Hotel said: "Currently, the hotel is implementing promotional programs to reduce room and food prices; at the same time, there is a policy to attract guests, especially officers and employees of large corporations and companies during the peak season who do not have the conditions to go on vacation... During the low season, the number of guests decreases, we take advantage of this time to train and improve the professional skills of officers and employees".

Small accommodations also have their own ways to attract tourists. Ms. Nguyen Thi Loi - owner of a hotel in Thu Thuy ward shared: "The hotel has linked up with the Vietnam tourist car forum through social networking sites such as Zalo and Facebook to promote and call on tourists to come to the hotel. At the same time, the hotel has a policy of 30% discount on room rental and food services."

Restaurants in Cua Lo are also having promotions and discounts on food and beverage services, and at the same time, changing the Summer menu - steamed and boiled seafood dishes to the Winter menu, with grilled dishes, seafood hotpot... Mr. Dinh Truong Son - owner of a restaurant in Nghi Thu ward added: "The restaurant has also contacted agencies and businesses inside and outside the province to organize seminars and conferences with preferential programs, such as free rental of speakers, halls to organize conferences and seminars and reduced food and beverage prices along with some other services to attract customers".

In the first 8 months of 2023, the total number of tourists in Cua Lo town reached 3,556,000, equal to 105% of the yearly plan, of which, 1,210,000 were overnight visitors, equal to 96.8% of the yearly plan. Revenue from service and tourism activities reached 3,480 billion VND, reaching 98% of the yearly plan... In this Fall - Winter season, Cua Lo strives to welcome about 180,000 visitors, of which, about 25,000 are overnight visitors, with revenue of over 220 billion VND.

Strengthening investment appeal and attraction

On August 17, 2023, the People's Committee of Cua Lo town issued Plan No. 142/KH-UBND to stimulate tourism in Cua Lo in the low season of 2023 with the aim of implementing events combined with communication, promotion and advertising activities on the potential and strengths of Cua Lo tourism associated with the message "Cua Lo - a safe, friendly and hospitable destination".

According to the plan, the town will focus on completing the planning of the East side of Binh Minh Street, soon submit it to the competent authority for approval and call for investment; work with relevant parties to urge the acceleration of construction progress and soon put Cua Hoi amusement and entertainment area and cable car to Ngu Island into operation to serve tourists; strengthen the renovation and repair of existing check-in points and invest in building new check-in points to serve Autumn - Winter tourism in the areas of Binh Minh Square and Forest Park; Cua Hoi bridge area; Lan Chau island.

The town also activated tourist attractions at historical and cultural relics, craft villages, fishing villages, traditional festivals at the relics to exploit spiritual tourism, experience, explore the typical cultural features of the coastal people; activated culinary areas along Lam River, night culinary area on Mai Thuc Loan Street, night culinary area (grilled food) west of Binh Minh Street (opposite 382 Motel), culinary experience area on Cam River (Nghi Tan Ward)...

In particular, many cultural and sports activities are organized, including: Activities to celebrate the 78th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2; to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the establishment of Cua Lo town. Organizing the Town Volleyball Tournament (end of August); Folk Dance Competition (on the occasion of October 20); 4-wheel electric vehicle driving competition (October); Student and student dance group competition (November); national, provincial and town-level sports competitions (from September to December 2023); "Returning to the Vi and Giam region" art program (from September to December 2023); Art program Welcoming the New Year 2024...

Mr. Doan Tien Dung - Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo town added: The People's Committee of the town has assigned responsibilities for organization and implementation to departments, offices and units in implementing the plan to stimulate Cua Lo tourism in the Fall - Winter season; signing stimulus contents; promoting Cua Lo tourism in the low season; building music festival programs, cultural and sports events; renovating check-in points, lighting systems, and decorative electricity to serve tourism activities in the low season; ensuring environmental sanitation in the park, beaches, roads and areas where activities are held; arranging booths and local seafood products; checking price management during the Fall - Winter tourism stimulus period, avoiding unhealthy competition.

The Town People's Committee also requested the Fatherland Front and organizations to propagate and mobilize members to actively participate in the town's annual Fall - Winter tourism promotion plan and program with the motto "each member is a tourism propagandist". Restaurant and hotel owners participate in signing joint programs, promotions, price incentives, combining to improve service quality to stimulate demand, attract tourists in the Fall - Winter season according to the town's plan; build tourism product packages with suitable prices and quality. The Town Tourism Association propagates and mobilizes accommodation establishments and businesses to actively participate in improving service quality, signing commitments to build promotional programs, selling products at the same price during the low season.

On the part of the wards, develop specific plans to stimulate tourism demand during the low season; proactively do a good job of propaganda and mobilization of the people, connect with craft villages, production and business establishments of food and seafood... to create typical products of Cua Lo tourism, stimulate shopping and resort demand in the area; build new, unique and impressive check-in points to attract tourists.../.