Vietnam fails consistently at marine tourism development – Tours – Travel

Vietnam fails consistently at marine tourism development – Tours – Travel

The Hanoitimes – Vietnam has many advantages for marine tourism development, however, the country still fails to develop its marine tourism services.

The number of marine tourists to Vietnam remains low compared to what it could be, accounting for o­nly 4%-5% of the country’s total visitors. This is partially attributed to poor port infrastructure. Currently, most Vietnamese ports are used for cargo transport, not for cruises, therefore, many of them are substandard and unsafe for travelers.

Speaking with DTiNews reporters, Associate Prof. Dr. Pham Trung Luong, Deputy Head of the Institute of Tourism Development Research, said, “Vietnam has a 3,600-km coastline, but there is not o­ne specialised port for cruise ships. Vietnam has seen an constant rise in the number of cruise visitors, and If we have specialised ports for these passengers, the benefits for Vietnam’s tourism industry will be tremendous”.

More bad news comes in the form of the cheating done by unlicensed tourist businesses–e.g. o­nline ads for non-existent cheap tours– which obviously affects negatively the operation of legal o­nes, including those operating in the marine tourism area. Meanwhile, licensed tour operators have to make an effort in marketing and must pay port fees for their ship operations.

A number of companies assign tourism business activities to individuals who then sell the tours to other tour guides. This has affected the service quality, for instance, despite paying high fees, customers are o­nly offered poor meals and accommodation.

A representative from a cruise tourism company said most foreign cruise ships now come to Vietnam just for transit purposes. Their stay averages just 2-3 days at o­ne or two ports.

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