VietNamNet Bridge – Few international tourists have repeated their Vietnam visits, an indication that the country is not attractive to visitors, the Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Program management board said in a report.

International tourists take a cyclo ride in downtown HCMC in this file photo. Few international tourists have repeated their Vietnam visits

According to the report, 90% of foreign guests to Vietnam are first time comers and only 6% return for the second time.

The results in this report are based on a survey conducted among 3,000 tourists at five major destinations of Vietnam, specifically Sapa, Halong, Hue, Danang and Hoi An.

For domestic visitors, 39% came to those places the first time, 24% returned the second time and only 13% of them came back the third time, according to the survey that was carried out in two periods this year – March-April and July-August.

The survey also found that tourists stay longer in Hoi An and Danang than in Sapa, Halong and Hue.

On average, they stay around four and a half nights at the two central cities while only one and a half to two and a half nights at the three other places.

Both foreign and local tourists agree that the natural landscape and the atmosphere are important factors that decide whether they feel satisfied with a place or not, while catering services, climate and hotel services come after that.

What makes visitors unsatisfied is the conditions of facilities for children at tourism destinations, which get only three marks on the scale from one to six that is used to measure the dissatisfaction level of tourists.

The Internet remains the most popular source of information for tourists. Up to 60% of foreigners and 45% of local people use the Internet to find information to make a decision on travel.

It is followed by the word of mouth, which was used by 33.7% of international visitors and 32.3% of domestic tourists.

More than 25% of foreign travellers look for information at tour operators and 27.4% of domestic visitors see television programs.

SGT/VNN