NZ looks to woo more Vietnam tourists

NZ looks to woo more Vietnam tourists

Anh Thu

A Māori performing group from the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute New Zealand stages cultural performances at a tourism seminar - PHOTO: NEW ZEALAND EMBASSY

Nearly 100 representatives of leading local travel companies and hotels attended the senimars to look into New Zealand’s tourist products and services as well as get updates about opportunities for expanding tourism links between the two countries.

At the seminars held by the New Zealand embassy in Hanoi and New Zealand tourism partners, New Zealand’s national flag carrier Air New Zealand, General Travel and other companies highlighted tourism products such as whale watching, Māori cultural performances and helicopter tours.

New Zealand is one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, with numerous attractions, activities and adventures for a fun-filled vacation, New Zealand’s ambassador to Vietnam Haike Manning said in a statement.

Manning said New Zealand offers products which can suit tastes and budgets of different groups of tourists like tours for viewing landscapes of mountains and sea, adventure activities, wines, food, unique culture and wildlife.

“People visit New Zealand to enjoy the pristine natural environment, see where some of the most famous films of recent times have been made (such as the Hobbit), go bungee jumping and rafting, and participate in other adventure activities, relax, go fishing, play golf and to enjoy some of the world’s best food and beverages. There is an activity or attraction to suit everyone’s tastes, age, culture and budget in New Zealand,” Manning said.

Manning expected the seminars would help tour operators of New Zealand and Vietnam jointly design and offer more tour options for Vietnamese holidaymakers who are keen to discover New Zealand.

The seminars also featured cultural performances staged by a Māori cultural performing group from the New Zealand Māori Arts & Crafts Institute.

According to the New Zealand embassy, more than 33,000 New Zealanders visited Vietnam last year while New Zealand welcomed over 3,000 Vietnamese, a 50% rise against 2007.

“We’re very keen to see similar numbers of our Vietnamese friends visiting New Zealand,” Manning said.

In the New Zealand-Vietnam comprehensive partnership established in 2009, the two governments identified tourism as a key sector with significant potential for future growth. Tourism is one of New Zealand’s largest export industries after the dairy industry in terms of foreign exchange earnings.

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