VietNamNet Bridge - 2015 was the first year in the past six years that the number of international visitors to Vietnam fell, reaching 7.9 million people. In addition to factors from economic fluctuations in the global situation, we can say that Vietnam's tourism needs a judicious investment and development plan. Many experts said that Vietnam has great potential to achieve a higher position on the world tourism map.

Desirable advantage

Son Doong Cave. Photo: National Geographic

According to a report assessing the competitiveness of tourism in 2015 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Vietnam ranked 75th out of 141 countries and territories and ranked 33rd in the category of natural and cultural resources.

Foreign tourists highly appreciated Vietnam for the richness of the scenery, as many people say this is "a nation that has everything": majestic mountains, bustling cities, cultural destinations, wonderful beaches, pristine islands, excellent cuisine ...

In 2015 Son Doong Cave was internationally known through the Good Morning America show of the American television channel ABC, and it immediately got the attention of the international tourism community.

The fantasy and surreal world in the world’s largest cave was highly praised by the media and it was even regarded as a leading destination of the 21st century.

Vietnam also has many landscapes that have long been favorite destinations of international tourists as Ha Long Bay, Sapa, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc ... and many impressive cultural heritage sites.

Vietnam is considered an ideal destination for travelers who want to immerse themselves in beautiful nature and discover the oriental culture.

One of the attractive features of Vietnam in the eyes of international visitors is the food. The richness and diversity of dishes in regions, the harmony between the ingredients and spices ... are the advantage of Vietnamese food.

Street food of Vietnam is honored by international media as an experience that people must try in their lifetime.

Vietnam is also favored by visitors for cheap costs, ranking 22nd in the category of price competitiveness over 141 countries.

Luxury travel has become more prominent in Vietnam with the construction of many five-star resorts and hotels which won many prestigious tourism awards in the world. More world-class hotel chains have been investing in Vietnam.

Vietnam has also been complimented for safety.

Mr. Tran Gia Bach, Managing Director of Buffalo Tours Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, said: "Vietnam tourism always has the advantage of being a safe destination. This factor will be more prominent in 2016 as political instability in Europe has not been terminated."

"The second advantage is that Vietnam’s scenery and cuisines are constantly rated highly by reputable organizations in the world. In 2015, many policies and mechanisms to promote tourism in Vietnam were approved and took effect, which will create a firm basis for the development of tourism in Vietnam in 2016," he said.

Many weaknesses to be overcome

Foreign tourists in the Hanoi Old Quarter. Photo: NYtimes

With such great potential, Vietnam is experiencing difficulties in creating a foothold on the world tourism map.

Vietnam tourism has not invested properly in large-scale promotion campaigns.

Visa remains a barrier to international travelers although some open policies have been issued and procedures have been simplified.

However, the biggest problem of Vietnam tourism is poor awareness of travel firms and tourism service providers in Vietnam.

In neighboring countries with developed tourism as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, tourism is the job of the whole people. Each household is aware of the influence of their attitude and their services on the face of the national tourism.

In Vietnam, the behaviors and attitude with foreign tourists of many tourism service providers are often poor, and this problem has not been solved completely.

Tran Gia Bach said: "To attract more international tourists, local people need to be well aware of their responsibility in preserving indigenous culture, actively collaborate with the local government to take advantage of tourism in the right way."

Another problem is the slow development of tourism services and products. While the quality of accommodation facilities in other countries are being upgraded, in Vietnam the quality of mid-range hotels is not really good.

Mr. Kenneth Atkinson, from Grant Thornton Group, said most domestic hotels in Vietnam don’t meet world standards and quality. Without proper investment to catch up with the global trend, Vietnam will lose part of the market, which has higher requirements on the quality of accommodation facilities.

Tran Gia Bach predicted that in 2016, the number of international tourists will increase, especially the return of tourists from China, Russia, South Korea and New Zealand. The number of visitors from Asia will rise more than those from Europe, because the economies of North Asia are on the rise, while Europe is beset with social and economic uncertainties.

He also said in order to exploit these advantages, Vietnam's tourism industry should have appropriate development plans. Tourism firms need to improve tourism products while tourism promotion programs should also be investing more and adjusting to fit different kinds of tourists.

At the same time, the Government and relevant bodies should issue more open policies, implement plans to restore, and preserve the architectural and cultural heritage in time before the impact of climate change. Infrastructure and public transport also need to be improved and upgraded, he said.

Vietnam travel: can beautiful landscapes poor services?

Recently, Hanoi police arrested shoeshine boys for overcharging foreign tourists. This was not something new, but it continues to seriously affect the image of Vietnam's tourism.

Last September, local newspapers reported about a gang of shoeshiners in the Hanoi Old Quarter who took shoes off tourists without their consent and overcharged them VND100,000 to VND1 million/ ($10-$50) while the normal price is VND20,000.

Avy, a tourist from Australia, was shocked when a shoe-shiner took off her sandals without her permission. She was charged VND900,000 ($43) for a little sewing. “I was extremely shocked as the cost, it’s more than I paid for them in Australia,” said Avy.

Helen, a tourist from Norway, was compelled to pay VND500,000 for her shoes to be shined. “It was a really terrible experience,” she said.

Shoe-shiners charge clients differently depending on their attitude. Those who are good-natured are overcharged from VND300,000 up to VND1 million. Those who are good at bargaining are charged less, around VND200,000.

On international tourist sites such as TripAdvisor or personal blogs of tourists, this form of swindling has been noted. Tourists have warned of scams since 2010.

Tourist Neill Smith wrote on Traveller: “Much as I like travelling within Vietnam, one invariably comes across scams or deceptive practices. The latest trick in Hanoi is for young shoeshine boys to remove your sandals and tell you they need repairing. Within seconds they have your sandal and apply superglue. When I indicated that my wife's sandal was fine, a thread was inserted into it and an accomplice held the thread so I could not remove it without tearing the sandal. After this incident we inspected our sandals - both were fine and will give years' more service. These experiences in no way detract from this great country, but forewarned is forearmed.”

However, for many visitors such acts makes them uncomfortable and they do not want to return to Vietnam.

Vietnamese readers are also upset with this. "One rotten apple spoils the barrel. As a Vietnamese, I’m scared and ashamed about this," a reader named Chung Dang commented, adding that such cases must be strictly punished.

Nguyen Thi Thuy, head of the Office for Culture and Society under Hanoi’s municipal government, said the city was determined to curb this rip-off culture as it badly affected the capital city and the country’s prestige.

Hanoi’s NA deputy Nguyen Thi An proposed that local authorities should immediately deal with the situation. “Such behavior should face criminal penalties,” she said.

Lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Ngoc Linh, head of Hang Buom Ward police in Hoan Kiem District, said in addition to shoeshiners, street vendors were also disturbing and overcharging foreign tourists around the Old Quarter.

However, no tourists have made official complaints to the police because the prospects of filing a report with the police appears too complicated and time-consuming. They also do not know where to go to register a complaint.

Pha Le