A series of tourism promotion programs will take place at home and abroad during the first quarter of this year to perk up Vietnam’s tourism industry which saw a decrease of 11 percent in foreign arrivals last year.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) early this month announced its plan to extend the national tourism stimulus program “Impressive Vietnam” this year instead of the end of 2009 to continue speeding up the recovery of the downturn-hit tourism industry.

Launched in January last year, Impressive Vietnam which offered discounts of up to 50 percent on package tours and tourism services, was the country’s response to the slumping tourism industry in 2009, which was battered by the global economic downturn and continent-low retention rates.

A series of road shows will take place in Germany, Russia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia during the first quarter of 2010 to continue promoting Vietnam as a tourist destination to the sector’s major source markets, The Saigon Times Dailly reported.

Local tourism officials and businesses will attend a three-day event in Thailand’s Bangkok and a two-day event in Malaysia and Singapore between February 28 and March 6.

Each program is expected to attract at least 50 travel buyers and 30 media organizations and tourism officials.

VNAT has also asked event makers to design a pavilion on 200 square meters at the

International Tourism Bourse Berlin 2010, one of the world’s leading travel trade shows, from March 10 to 14 in Germany.

The country’s promotion program will continue at the Moscow International Travel and Exhibition 2010 to take place in Russia from March 17 to 20.

Vu The Binh, head of the VNAT’s travel department, said it was the first time the agency had invited professional companies to organize tourism promotion programs abroad.

It is estimated the national tourism authority would spend at least VND40 billion (US$2.17 million) for tourism promotion activities at home and abroad this year compared to the budget of VND25 billion ($1.35 million) in 2009.

Vietnam Hotel Association debuts

Some 120 representatives of hotels and lodging service providers across the country gathered in Hanoi on January 10 to mark the debut of the Vietnam Hotel Association, a move aimed at drumming up the downturn-hit hospitality industry.

Do Thi Hong Xoan, head of the VNAT’s Hotel Department was appointed chairwoman of the association at the opening ceremony attended by 120 representatives of local hoteliers in Melia Hotel.

The association is expected to boost cooperation among nearly 11,000 lodging facilities across the country to help develop local hospitality industry, a magnet for foreign direct investments in Vietnam.

According to VNAT, the country currently has 10,900 lodging facilities with 215,000 rooms, Thoi Bao Kinh Te Sai Gon Online (Saigon Economics Times Online) reported.

They include 185 three-star hotels with 13,200 rooms, 95 facilities rated four stars with 11,630 rooms and 35 five-star hotels with 8,800 rooms.

Local hoteliers across Vietnam last year saw their occupancy rates slid to 50 percent from the previous average rate of 70 to 80 percent in 2008 under the pressure of slumping foreign arrivals.

It forced the businesses to lash their room rates by up to 50 percent to stimulate demand during the challenging times.

Despite the government’s efforts to perk up the slumping tourism industry, the sector recorded a plunge of 11 percent in foreign visitors to 3.8 million last year.

But the decline was offset by an increase of 19 percent in domestic travelers thanks to lower tour prices enabled by the Impressive Vietnam program.

VNAT forecast Vietnam would welcome 4.5 to 4.6 million foreign tourists next year, up 18 to 21 percent from 2009 and higher than the figure 4.25 million of last year.

It also expected to receive 28 million Vietnamese travelers next year, up 12 percent from 2009.

Tuoi tre Newspaper