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International tourism is gradually returning to normal.
In the first six months of 2023, Quang Nam welcomed nearly 2.1 million international visitors. This is a rather impressive number, approaching the more than 2.5 million recorded during the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Compared to the rest of the country, Quang Nam is among the top provinces in terms of international tourism recovery. After 2020, although there have been discussions about repositioning the balance between the international and domestic markets, reality shows that international tourism is likely to remain the "trump card" for the recovery and development of Quang Nam's tourism.
Statistics show that the top 10 international tourist markets for Quang Nam remain relatively stable compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, which reinforces the local tourism brand's reputation with international visitors.
The only emerging market to break into the top 10 largest international tourist markets in Quang Nam in the first half of 2023 was India, a market also identified as having enormous potential, and the tourism industry is collaborating with localities in Central Vietnam to promote the development of this market.
The strong recovery of the international tourist market in the first half of 2023, besides the unique appeal of Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary, was also contributed by promotional activities appropriate to the new context, such as: welcoming international famtrip and presstrip delegations from Singapore, South Africa, and Japan to visit, survey, and experience new and attractive tourism products in Quang Nam; welcoming film crews to produce programs such as “Vivu Vietnam”, “Taste of Vietnam”, “Around Vietnam - A Region of Vietnam”, “Explore Vietnam - Heritage Route”, “Documentary of Green Tourism in Quang Nam”; and collaborating to publish the “Exciting Asia” column in Asian Traveller magazine with articles introducing destinations like Hoi An and My Son...
Quang Nam province recently held a tourism promotion program and signed a cooperation agreement for tourism development in South Korea – currently Quang Nam's largest international tourism market.
At the end of June, a major bottleneck for the national tourism industry was resolved when the National Assembly agreed to extend the validity of e-visas from 30 days to 90 days, allowing multiple entries; and increase the temporary stay at border gates for those entering under the unilateral visa exemption scheme from 15 days to 45 days.
According to many tourism businesses, the implementation of multiple-entry electronic visas will allow tourists, especially those from distant markets, to proactively plan their travel time and itinerary. Quang Nam is considered to be among the localities that will benefit greatly from this policy because the province's tourism structure has long relied heavily on international tourists.
Seize the opportunity
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in addition to the tourism promotion program and strategic cooperation signing ceremony to boost tourism in South Korea that took place at the end of July, from now until the end of the year, Quang Nam's tourism industry will continue to organize many important activities to attract international tourists.
Notably, there are tourism promotion programs in India, Malaysia, and Singapore; programs introducing Quang Nam tourism in Laos and Thailand; organizing cultural and tourism days and showcasing Quang Nam's OCOP products in Can Tho within the framework of the VITM Can Tho 2023 International Tourism Fair; and organizing a conference on tourism development linkages among five localities: Quang Nam - Da Nang - Thua Thien Hue - Quang Binh - Quang Tri…
My Son tourism has made an impressive recovery thanks to the return of international visitors.
Representatives from Citadines Pearl Hoi An believe that in promotional activities, it is necessary to clearly identify the target market for Quang Nam province in order to develop effective marketing solutions, avoid waste, and prevent overlooking potential markets that are suitable for Quang Nam.
According to a representative from Vinpearl Nam Hoi An, the tourism products of the Quang Nam - Da Nang market are already very diverse. The key to promotion is to select the most suitable products and market segments for each channel. Furthermore, collaboration between different entities is needed to create a unique service chain.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, proposed that the competent authorities should consider continuing to expand and diversify markets with high growth potential, a large number of tourists with high spending power, and long stays.
Besides the group of 13 countries that have already implemented unilateral visa exemption policies, further research is needed to add 33 more countries to the list of those eligible for unilateral visa exemptions to accelerate the recovery of international tourism. Among these countries, there are many traditional and highly potential markets for Quang Nam tourism, such as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada…
