VietNamNet Bridge – Young UK tourist Sean Williams chose Vietnam for his first trip to Asia in November, and revelled in the country’s rich culture and cuisine.

Millennial passengers expect authentic experiences and check-in spots. VNS Photo Hong Van

“My trip was amazing, I really enjoyed it. It was very different from what I’d been used to. Vietnamese culture is great. I like the way people are there, and how many of them live in the city but still all get along. The food is really good, everything I tried I liked. Really good food,” said Williams.

“I found it quite easy to find out about excursions and there were many tourist offices around offering trips and advice. People are generally very helpful if you need them. I love it there, can’t wait to be back,” he added.

With its scenic landscape, pristine beaches, fine cuisine and rich culture, Vietnam has become a popular destination for tourists of different ages and cultural backgrounds and with diverse demands for travel.

In 2018, the country has welcomed more than 15 million international visitors, including around 400,000 who arrived on cruises.

The Asian cruise market has grown rapidly in recent years, providing a big opportunity for Vietnam to take advantage of.

The country ranks fourth in Asia (after Japan, China and Thailand) this year in number of port calls.

Vietnam has great potential for cruise tourism with scenic landscapes, pristine beaches, fine cuisine and rich culture. VNS Photo Hong Van

Over the past few years, Vietnam has developed a deep-water port system that enables big cruise ships to dock. The big ports include Ha Long in Quang Ninh, Chan May in Hue, Tien Sa in Da Nang and Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa, and are designed to receive ships and cruise vessel of 50,000 to 100,000 gross tonnes.

In late November, the Ha Long International Cruise Port opened, making it the first passenger port for cruise ships in Vietnam designed to accommodate vessels with a capacity of more than 8,000 people and able to serve two ships at once. 

Vietnam needs more specialised ports like this to accommodate the increasing number of tourists and cruises.

Infrastructure for seaports is still a headache for Vietnam’s cruise tourism. Other than in Ha Long, cruises still have to dock at port0s designed for cargo ships.

Ahmad Kamal Bin Abdollah, manager of Cruise Port Development at NV Terminals in Malaysia, said: “Vietnam is currently reliant on cargo terminals to provide cruise berths. Finding suitable locations for dedicated berths is not always easy. Often the solution in the near future is to mitigate the passenger inconveniences when berthing at cargo facilities.”

Some international cruises carrying thousands of tourists have been unable to dock in Vietnam because the local ports were fully booked by cargo ships and there wasn’t a slot for passenger ships.

Vietnam should develop a seaport system that includes terminals, duty free shops, money exchange counters and entertainment areas. VNA/VNS Photo

In mid June this year, a cruise carrying 4,800 people failed to dock at Phu My in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. In September and October, two more ships (one carrying 2,800 people and the other 4,000) had to cancel their stop in HCM City. 

The average cruise tourist is estimated to spend an average of US$100 per day.

"The unavailability of ports for cruises causes loss of money and loss of trust from international cruise lines," said Ha Bich Lien, a lecturer at the HCM City University of Pedagogy and a consultant for an international cruise company.

Many ports prefer to take in cargo ships because the charges are much higher than cruise ships.

The economic benefits from cruise ships may not outweigh cargo ship, but the number of cruise tourists can bring in higher income and improve the living standards of locals and help to promote the image of the country and its people.

At the seminar on cruise tourism development held in Quang Ninh last week, representatives from the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), travel agencies and cruise lines urged more investment in seaports, which should ideally include guest terminals, modern shopping malls and entertainment areas.

Vu Duy Vu from the Saigontourist Travel Service Company said investment was needed in building wharves and piers for passenger use, public utilities including money exchange counters, duty-free shops and toilets at ports.

Vu said that more standard services including dining, shopping and entertainment should be added to meet the diverse needs of passengers. Signature souvenirs from each locality should also be on offer for cruise tourists, he added.

Abdollah said: “The cruise facilities must consider such criteria as the ability to serve the ships which include the water depth and channel access; the access to excursion sites including distance and modes of transport. They should also ensure the safe and efficient operating environment with supporting services and amenities.”

Unique tours

"The trends and demands of tourists are changing and becoming more diverse, so tour operators need to make each destination stand out and provide new high-end products and services," said Vu.

Cruise tourists used to be mostly middle-aged or retired, but now the demographic is changing. The number of tourists travelling with friends and family has also been growing, with visitors arriving from all over the world. The number of Asian passengers, especially Chinese, outnumber other nationalities like American, European and Australian, according to VNAT.

Facilitating the interaction between tourists and local people is among the criteria for a good itinerary. VNS Photo Hong Van The first passengers board at the Ha Long International Passenger Port in November. Infrastructure is still a headache for Vietnam’s cruise tourism. Other than in Ha Long, cruises still have to dock at ports for cargo ships. VNA/VNS Photo

In terms of length of stay, cruise tourists tend to spend from 12 hours to 48 hours. These cruises also have at least two ports of call.

In addition, cruise travel is becoming more affordable with different budget options; therefore, the spending power and demand for tourism products and services on the same cruise varies, according to Vu.

Passengers also expect beautiful landscapes, traditional crafts, daily life and the local culture and cuisine. Millennial passengers expect an authentic experience and check-in spots.

Manager Abdollah said: “Good destinations have a mix of excursions and on-shore activities to fill up a cruise visitor’s day. Where gaps appear at certain distances, especially at close distances, they should be filled by developing new sites.”

“Many destinations throughout Vietnam have strong market visibility. There are several UNESCO heritage sites accessible via cruise excursions and the cities themselves are well known,” he added.

According to Vu, to serve an increasing volume of passengers that can sometimes be up to 5,000 per cruise, it is important for tourism products and services to meet criteria such as giving tourists a fantastic experience or a sense of adventure and exploration, especially for high-end tourists; showcasing the landscape, history, culture, traditional arts, cuisine and shopping destinations of Vietnam; facilitating the interaction between cruise tourists and locals; and being associated with the cultural events at destination ports.

 “The fundamental challenge to Vietnam’s cruise tourism remains facility construction," Abdollah said.

“Once facilities are improved, then other challenges such as diversifying source markets and building new itineraries with cruise lines can be handled at a more tactical level,” he added. 

VN, a great market for cruise human resources

According to lecturer Lien, cruise ships employ a high number of staff, sometimes up to 1,800 people. These staff work on cruises for around five years before they quit life at sea to settle ashore.

“There is always a high demand for staff for cruise tourism, and Vietnam can become a competitive market for human resources,” said Lien.

In order to grasp this opportunity, Vietnam should lobby international cruise lines to open schools in Vietnam to offer training for future staff, she added. 

By Hong Van

Source: VNS