The country’s tourism industry has just ended a year of many events with losses of up to 23 billion USD, thousands of businesses went bankrupt, millions of workers lost their jobs or were laid off… “super storm” COVID-19.
However, Vietnam is still a safe destination for the world when the epidemic situation is well controlled.
Before the journey of 2021, looking back at the past year, Deputy General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Mr. Ha Van Sieu, shared about Vietnam’s tourism picture and plans and prospects for the new period.
Tourism is one of the industries that has experienced the most storms in 2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. Reviewing the “green economy” industry in the past year, what can you say?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: 2020 is an unprecedented year in the history of the world and Vietnam’s tourism industry. COVID-19 has created a full-blown crisis that forced all to proactively stop travel activities. The tourism industry of all countries in the world is affected, in which countries with a strong tourism industry such as Thailand and Singapore suffer the most.
At this time, most countries are no longer focusing too much on salvaging the small number of international tourists, instead looking for solutions to minimize the damage caused by the disease. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the damage of Vietnam’s tourism industry is currently being controlled at the lowest level. This result stems from the timely support policies of the State such as support for land tax, electricity price, reduction or free of charge at many destinations with tourism businesses.
Tourism management agencies from the central to local levels also actively cooperate with businesses to develop stimulus packages and incentive programs to attract tourists to visit as soon as the epidemic is under control. I think this is a successful combination of management and business.
In particular, Vietnam has maintained the image of a safe and responsible destination; activities to provide information about destinations and epidemic prevention via webinar (webinar). On multilateral forums, Vietnam’s image has been positively evaluated, and continues to win awards such as consecutively as Asia’s leading destination in terms of culture and cuisine; World’s leading heritage destination. These are very positive assessments of the world about a safe and attractive Vietnam.
Losses are immeasurable and unavoidable, but also through the COVID-19 pandemic, we have step by step learned lessons to assess the situation and find solutions in the new situation. Along with the challenge of maintaining stability, Vietnam’s tourism industry still has to continue to find solutions to the problem of how to develop when the epidemic has not shown signs of ending.
– So what do you think about the resilience and development of Vietnam’s tourism face in 2021?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: Recently, the World Tourism Organization has just released a report showing that in 2020 the world tourism industry has returned to the 1990s. It is forecasted that by the end of 2021, the tourism industry will have normal operation again, but to recover, it takes 3-4 years to return to the 2019 mark.
Traveling to Vietnam in 2021 will be quickly restored with a new look and feel 2
Enjoy Ha Long Bay by seaplane. (Photo: CTV/Vietnam+)
According to my personal assessment, Vietnam still has its own ways, flexible solutions. Through many events in history, we still exist, thanks to that, we have experienced the diversity of many businesses, learned how to “don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
In fact, many tourism businesses, thanks to a variety of industries during the epidemic, should reduce their losses. I believe the recovery of Vietnam’s tourism will be faster than the world, in just 6 months to a year.
Plan a new trend
– Domestic tourism will be an important “key” for the industry to recover from the “storm” of COVID-19. How do you assess the trend of the domestic tourism market in the coming year?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: Domestic tourism currently has three trends. Firstly, safety is the most important factor that tourists care about.
Second, the trend of mass tourism will be halted, replaced by the trend of small, personalized travel taking the throne, opening up opportunities for new destinations and new experiences. This greatly affects the investment trend.
New, unprecedented destinations will develop. The places that are still backward and pristine will have the opportunity to invest in development. The level of investment in Nha Trang and Da Nang will decrease, replaced by new destinations such as Lai Chau, Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai)… Therefore, investors will have to adapt.
Tourists will use services, experience practical tourism activities and gradually eliminate unnecessary needs. Designers of products and services must take into account the benefits for human needs, health benefits, culture, art, cuisine, etc. Movement activities will be eliminated. .
Third, tourists now mainly choose to connect to services thanks to technology, so tourism products must adapt by providing both real experiences but also many connected activities thanks to technology.
In 2021, investors and businesses will also change according to three trends. Destinations that used to be “hot”, crowded with tourists, with hotels and resorts with thousands of rooms will no longer be attractive to investors. They began to look to new destinations, began to divide into separate zones, diversify specialized services. They do not invest in large but small scale, dispersed but connected with each other.
Tourism products aimed at human health, sports tourism, medical tourism, eco-tourism, yoga, tourism close to nature will take the throne and become more and more important after the COVID pandemic. -19.
Tourism products will also go into depth as visitors focus on quality tourism. Businesses will focus on activities that value local cultural backgrounds.
– With the ability to recover quickly as you mentioned above, in 2021, what is the plan of the tourism industry, sir?
Mr. Ha Van Sieu: Four groups of issues will be focused on developing in the coming period: Restructuring the tourism market to adapt to the context of new trends; continue to strengthen public-private partnership; digital conversion; chain link, region link.
The tourist market will be restructured to adapt to the new context. The international tourist market remains temporarily frozen, while the inflow of domestic tourists will become the main source of revenue.
The link between state management agencies and tourism businesses continues to be closely strengthened to create attractive incentive programs.
The link between destinations and tourist areas will create a service supply chain, build quality tourism products, in accordance with the current travel trends of tourists.
Finally, technology will be encouraged to be adopted more widely to support travelers with smarter and safer travel experiences.
The whole industry has also prepared a new mindset to enter 2021 with new prospects, finding an appropriate direction in the context of the global epidemic for tourism, from tourism to economic and social development.
In addition, in 2020, tourism trends in the world as well as in Vietnam have changed due to the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic, leading to a change in the flow of tourists, so tourists must grasp and follow the trend. new. In 2021, in the immediate future, Vietnam’s tourism industry will not be able to welcome international visitors, but will focus on domestic tourists.
According to Xuan Mai – (Vietnam+)
