My hometown has Cua Lo beach!
(Baonghean) - Many people enjoy traveling; some like to visit beautiful places, others are curious about local culture, and some simply want to explore... local cuisine. Ultimately, it's all about discovering new things and expanding knowledge in a specific field they are interested in.
Isn't the tourism business inherently about "feelings"? That is, how to make tourists feel most satisfied, getting the most value for their money. It means meeting customer demands. But what are those demands? It's easy to see that world-famous tourist destinations are remembered for their unique characteristics. Singapore, the world's cleanest, greenest, and most beautiful island nation; Japan, a country with a unique culture blending ancient society with strict rules and the rebellious spirit of the modern era; the Netherlands, the land of flowers; France, the capital of light and romance; Spain, the land of bullfighters and flamenco dances;... Thus, each country focuses on its most outstanding and attractive features, orienting its tourism development accordingly. Like all other business products, the tourism business also needs to define and identify its target customer base to build a product promotion strategy.
Taking Cua Lo as a micro-example, first, we must define Cua Lo as a resort tourism destination. Unlike beaches in the South with their scenic advantages, Cua Lo should focus more on resort services due to its limited natural beauty. Therefore, tourists interested in scenic beauty can be set aside, as they are clearly not a potential target group. What about tourists interested in culture? Local culture, objectively speaking, isn't particularly novel or difficult to exploit effectively. However, considering Cua Lo's location along a tourist route with other historical and cultural sites such as President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace and the nearby temples and shrines, developing some cultural tourism services in Cua Lo is advisable to fully capitalize on tourists visiting these historical and cultural sites. For example, a business model offering tours on traditional basket boats to observe fishermen's nighttime squid fishing is a good idea. If exploitation is to be carried out, it needs to be organized in a systematic way to ensure both the safety of tourists and create more jobs for local fishermen.
Finally, of course, we can't ignore the food aspect. Visitors to Cua Lo might not swim, but they absolutely must try the seafood (for example, I always come in the late afternoon or evening to enjoy the breeze and eat seafood). However, if I were to rate it, the food service in Cua Lo would only be considered "fair." It's a shame that we could easily achieve a higher score in terms of cuisine! Thinking back to Da Nang, I remember the fresh seafood, the diverse cooking methods (from simple to elaborate), and the reasonable prices. Reflecting on that, what Cua Lo lacks is diversity and meticulousness in preparation and presentation, plus the problem of overcharging customers that still exists in some restaurants...
Those are a few things that make me hesitant about Cua Lo, but basically, I really, really like Cua Lo! Looking back on my visits to Cua Lo from when I was a child until now, I realize that Cua Lo is constantly changing, and I'm delighted. Because when I mention Cua Lo to friends from other regions, I can proudly say: "My hometown has Cua Lo beach!" It's just that the beach in my hometown isn't very colorful yet; I'll gradually add more color to it, hehe!
Hai Trieu(Email from Paris)
