Building a tourism symbol for Nghe An associated with "Nghe An's unique characteristics".
(Baonghean.vn) - Nghe An is a province with rich tourism potential, but its development is not commensurate, growth lacks sustainability, the proportion of international tourists is low, and the attractiveness and diversity of tourism products have not improved significantly… These were the main topics discussed at the Workshop on Exploiting Nghe An's Tourism Potential, held on the morning of May 16th.
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| Overview of the workshop. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
Attending the seminar, on the central delegation side were: Mr. Nguyen The Trung - Member of the Central Theoretical Council, former Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, former Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization, former Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dinh Thien - Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics; and Dr. Ha Van Sieu - Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Representing Nghe An province were: Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Le Minh Thong - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and representatives from various departments, agencies, and localities in the province.
The workshop was also attended by experts from international and domestic cooperation organizations and universities; corporations, tourism businesses, and airlines.
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| Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Minh Thong delivered the opening remarks at the workshop. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
In his opening remarks at the workshop, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Minh Thong affirmed that Nghe An province has great potential for tourism development with more than 2,600 historical relics and scenic spots; a diverse cultural identity of ethnic groups; and abundant natural resources, including 82 km of coastline and the Western Biosphere Reserve, which is recognized by UNESCO as a world natural biosphere reserve…
However, tourism in Nghe An has not developed in proportion to its potential. The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized that, through this workshop, Nghe An province hopes to receive open and responsible discussions to jointly deliberate, agree upon, and propose appropriate directions and solutions for the future.
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| Many delegates argued that while beach tourism is the focus of Nghe An's tourism, it is still not truly attractive and lacks services to draw tourists. (Photo: Thanh Cuong) |
At the workshop, delegates frankly discussed many "hot" issues regarding the current state of tourism development in Nghe An.
According to Associate Professor Pham Trung Luong of the Vietnam Tourism Training Association, Nghe An's tourism sector is facing several challenges regarding destination competitiveness from the perspective of tourism product development, especially for unique tourism products.
“Most tourists visiting Cua Lo will go to Kim Lien, but that's only part of the tour; meanwhile, many tourists come to Kim Lien with the sincere respect of locals visiting President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace, rather than with the mindset of tourists coming to Nghe An to experience unique tourism products focusing on world-renowned figures against the backdrop of traditional culture honored by UNESCO,” said Mr. Pham Trung Luong.
Dr. Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, also stated that Nghe An's tourism sector is facing several challenges that need addressing, such as the quality of tourism human resources, promotion and marketing efforts, and product development linkages.
"Nghe An needs to shift from extensive to intensive tourism development, diversifying services and developing more suitable tourism products to overcome seasonality," Mr. Sieu said.
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| Delegates visit booths showcasing Nghe An's tourism products on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
Many delegates, including tourism experts and leaders of tourism businesses, raised concerns about the proportion of international tourists and the number of overnight stays in Nghe An. In 2017, Nghe An welcomed 5.6 million visitors, but more than 2 million only came for sightseeing and did not stay overnight. Furthermore, international tourists accounted for a very low proportion, only about 109,000 visitors.
Tourism services also present a challenge, as Nghe An currently lacks nighttime services. Overnight visitors have no entertainment options, limiting revenue from tourism.
Concluding the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Dinh Thien - Director of the Vietnam Institute of Economics, commented: Overall, the current level of tourism development in Nghe An is low, monotonous, with few high-class and attractive tourism types; and there is a high degree of "reliance on ready-made solutions" in tourism activities…
Associate Professor Tran Dinh Thien believes that the overall vision of Vietnamese tourism in general, and Nghe An tourism in particular, is problematic, even after tourism has been identified as a key economic sector.
Currently, the tourism development orientation needs to identify the advantages and unique characteristics of Nghe An, and accordingly, select and build a tourism symbol for Nghe An associated with its distinctive features: a land of learning, a place of outstanding people and rich cultural heritage, a convergence of excellence against a backdrop of "green mountains and clear waters". In addition, it is necessary to have a world-class international airport; a national tourism development program; and a regional tourism connectivity program with Vinh City and President Ho Chi Minh's birthplace as the central hub.
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| Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong expressed his gratitude to the experts and scientists who contributed their opinions to the development of tourism in Nghe An. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
Thanking the experts and scientists for their frank and insightful contributions to the development of tourism in the province, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong affirmed that the province will fully incorporate all opinions into its programs and actions in the coming time.
On this occasion, the People's Committee of Nghe An province signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation with Vietravel Vietnam Tourism and Transport Marketing Joint Stock Company and Saigontourist Corporation, aiming to promote investment in key sectors and projects, create momentum for development, attract new investment, and develop the province's leading economic sectors.
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| Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for strategic cooperation with tourism businesses. Photo: Phuoc Anh |
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5 essential issues for developing tourism in Nghe An:
- Strengthen propaganda efforts and raise awareness about tourism among key officials in the political system and all segments of the population.
- Strengthen state management of tourism.
- There should be reasonable policies to encourage businesses and economic entities, both domestic and foreign, within and outside the province, to invest in tourism.
- Strengthen training, development, and human resource development for the tourism industry.
- Promote the development of tourism infrastructure.
