The Current Situation of Tourism Marketing in Dalat City

In addition, a weak point in Lam Dong's tourism business is advertising and marketing, because this is really a very important step to bring about business efficiency to promote tourism development. With its position as a particularly important tourist destination in the key tourist area of Nha Trang - Ninh Chu - Dalat and a major attraction of the tourism growth triangle of Ho Chi Minh City - Dalat - Nha Trang, further on the tourism development axis of Vung Tau - Dalat. Lam Dong tourism has not had close coordination with local tourism businesses and international tourism organizations to fully exploit its strengths. Weak competitiveness, the equitization of enterprises is still slow, so the efficiency of tourism business is not high.

In addition to the system of restaurants and hotels owned by the State and organizations, Dalat also has private hotels and motels. This is an effective measure to invest in the city's tourism, because the number of visitors during the year is not even, sometimes there are many empty hotels but sometimes tourists cannot find a place to stay. Allowing every household to provide tourism services has partly solved this imbalance and made the face of the city change clearly.

Up to now, in Lam Dong province, there are 25 enterprises and organizations operating tourism business in 95 tourist areas and spots (out of 150 areas and spots with potential for exploitation). Dalat City alone has invested in and put into operation 35 areas and spots, including 8 areas and spots exploiting natural tourism resources of lakes and waterfalls; 2 historical relics; 3 ecological forest spots; 11 landscape and entertainment spots with a land fund of up to 2,600 hectares. Dalat can meet the needs of nearly 35,000 visitors at a time, with nearly 500,000 domestic visitors and about 60,000 foreign visitors coming to visit and relax in Dalat every year.

With Dalat tourism, the main products are based on three types: Ecological, resort and conference - seminar. Travel - transportation organizations have limited capacity, independent operations have not met the needs of tourists, especially in peak season. Accommodation organizations are still small, service quality is not high, lack of professionalism. The investment in tourist attractions and destinations is still monotonous, not commensurate with the needs of tourists' satisfaction, even often hear many criticisms, complaints about poor content, arbitrary form and unprofessional service quality.

The design of newly formed package tours is often stereotyped, the festival program is formal. Prices are inconsistent and spontaneous according to the season. There have been many efforts in distribution, communication, marketing, advertising and tourism promotion, but the marketing effectiveness of the industry has not been as expected, due to the lack of special appeal and creative flexibility. To serve the resort center, previously, means of transport were exploited to the maximum, despite the obstacles in terrain. To reach Dalat, roads are the only means of transport. Currently, the car road system has been upgraded and expanded to tourist areas with high-quality car routes. Dalat has flights connecting to other places through two airports Cam Ly and Lien Khuong. Dalat Station used to be a great and poetic construction, one of the unique stations in Vietnam, but sadly, now almost all of it has sunk into oblivion, because during the war there was a section of the road that lacked security, so the railway line could not be used and has been abandoned since then.

Dalat people are gentle, leisurely, polite, discreet but friendly and hospitable. This characteristic is ingrained in all people, the Dalat people's language has a mixed tone of the North - Central - South with 12 different religions and beliefs (most populous are Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Cao Dai), customs and habits are also extremely diverse, creating Dalat people a synthesis of many nuances. In other places, just having the name of Dalat people will receive special favor.

Currently, Dalat tourism does not have many companies to test the market's reaction to tourism products, the human resources in the tourism industry are both weak and lacking, most of them lack professionalism. To compete, marketers have made the most of "tricks" to "show off" but cause trouble and waste tourists' time.

( Appendix 5 : Main types of local tourism)

In the past, Dalat tourism potential can be said to have not been awakened. Recently, many efforts have been made to develop tourism. Investing in many infrastructure items and activities with high social relations. But it is not commensurate with the potential, only at an average level. ( Appendix 6 : Survey form on Dalat tourism marketing activities

and quantitative results)

2.2 Current status of tourism marketing in Dalat

2.2.1 Current status of Marketing: "Vietnam has a great charm that makes any further words about it redundant" (Comment of the German travel agency Studiosus). Dalat city has also been known to many people in the country and internationally because it was once called a small Paris. A foreign tourist said: " Dalat will be Switzerland in Southeast Asia" . Since the beginning of the 20th century, there have been many research works and studies about Dalat published in domestic and international newspapers in many different fields. Introducing Dalat in some way is just a few strokes on a magnificent picture that nature has bestowed upon Dalat.

However, the quantitative results (Ka) from the actual survey form in Appendix 6/3 from tourists and experts show that: State management in the tourism sector is not effective in many aspects such as: Capital, planning, investment policy, joint ventures, associations, environmental sanitation, national security, safety for tourists. Budget revenue, prices and consumer rights, product quality... are still lax.

Currently, most tourists coming to Lam Dong lack information, official information sources are not abundant and limited. In the Dalat area and surrounding areas, the environmental resources are gradually being lost, water and air pollution, and landscape are increasing. Partly because Marketing researchers still have certain difficulties such as scarcity of research documents, lack of modern research methods and tools. Moreover, in today's market, it is not easy for companies to stop to look at themselves and affirm their position. This is the reason for underestimating long-term strategies. Short-term tactical activities often show immediate effectiveness, but without a clear Marketing strategy, a comprehensive vision, the company will certainly get lost in a vicious circle, wasting both money and time.

2.2.1.1 Brand potential : According to relative calculations ( Ka = 3.42 ), Dalat tourism brand is known by a fairly high number of people, the rate of first-time visitors is high, and the number of returning visitors is also quite high. The density of visitors is above the national average, the presence of tourism products and services in the market is at a positive level.

( Chart 2.1:Brand evaluation application http://www.lantabrand.com )

% Current market share Potential market share

Through analysis, it can be seen that Dalat tourism brand initially has advantages in terms of communication. But reality proves that: Not all tourists are interested in Dalat tourism market, Dalat tourism companies and businesses due to being under pressure for profits for a long time have partly made Dalat less attractive. There is a state of dependence in the way of reacting to the market, seeing opportunities in an attractive market segment, then focusing on that. Because the awareness of the importance of the brand is not at the right level, the brand is not really considered as the asset of the business. If Dalat keeps trying to attract all those who travel aimlessly like now, it will be a waste of money.

( Appendix 7 : Ten questions about the friendliness of Dalat tourism)

2.2.1.2 Products : In recent times, Dalat - Lam Dong tourism has developed mainly on the basis of exploiting existing tourism resources, signs are showing that many tourism resources in the area are slow to be invested in and exploited. This is one of the main reasons why tourism products are less attractive, significantly limiting the attraction of international tourists. Up to now, compared to the rate of people knowing and considering, it can be seen that Dalat tourism brand has initially had a positive impact on attracting tourists in the region and across the country ( Ka = 3.36 ). However, it is still not commensurate with the tourism development potential of the province, the first reason , it must be said, is that the quality of services and tourism products is still low, the market accounts for over 90% of ordinary customers with low spending ability. Current policies still lack high-end products and services, so the number of tourists coming to the locality is large but the revenue is not high, the revenue structure is only concentrated in food and accommodation services. Many accommodation facilities are built spontaneously, not synchronously and mainly small-scale, and are densely concentrated in the city center. Therefore, Lam Dong tourism has not really attracted international tourists and the length of stay of visitors is low, it is necessary to innovate marketing, communication and promotion programs accordingly. ( Appendix 8 : Introduction to the main products and services currently available in Dalat)

2.2.1.3 Distribution: While advertising is mainly aimed at the general public, distribution is aimed at professional tourism businesses. Tourism products and services in Dalat reach tourists through travel agencies, travel agents, hotels, hotel representatives and airlines. However, tourists coming to Dalat find it difficult to find a tourist information and introduction office here. If in Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City... tourists can easily be guided and learn about tourism information because there are information, introduction and tourist guidance offices, in Dalat tourists do not have this active support.

Although many tourists have had the opportunity to see and contact Dalat ( Ka = 3.13 ). However, it is necessary to consolidate and maintain the current position to promote the level more frequently. Not only should we coordinate well with large tourism companies and businesses, but we should also pay attention to private partners. Because these partners have a direct contact position with many consumers, due to the habit of going to convenient places or because tourists themselves feel it is suitable. This is a distribution channel that also contributes significantly to helping tourists access the product, while creating the appearance of Dalat tourism development.

2.2.1.4 Price : Dalat tourism has not been managed in a synchronous manner, so prices fluctuate seasonally, and price increases and price pressure still occur frequently, causing a lack of trust among tourists ( Ka = 2.94 ). Some private individuals use low prices (dumping) to compete, but this is counterproductive for tourists with high incomes. During low seasons, the situation of supply exceeding demand leads to the emergence of a team of "service brokers", this activity is complicated, stalking and competing for customers due to the lack of regulations and sanctions. The Provincial Tourism Association was established in 2001, but its role is relatively vague in setting a standard price . Travel agencies often have a package price strategy, which is a strategy of selling a cluster of products with a structure of each tour, which has partly created a minimum peace of mind for tourists (especially strangers and tourists with average incomes).

The price increase strategy is used in a short-term manner in markets with low elasticity of demand, based on quantity, demand - taste, value of services and seasonality as well as average purchasing power of tourists. Thus, the price policy is very flexible according to trends, which is both a science and an art.

2.2.1.5 Human resources: Although there is a rapid growth in the number of workers, the professional level of the tourism workforce is still weak, the rate of trained workers is still too low compared to the development requirements of the industry ( Ka = 3.38 ). Intermediate level and above is also very low, most workers are trained only through short-term vocational training courses of a few weeks or months. Notably, the team of tour guides and receptionists with foreign language, geography and local history qualifications is still very small. The rapid and strong "explosion" of the Marketing field has made Dalat's human resources scarce to the point of "headache" in not being able to adapt and meet in time, so there is a crisis on both sides of supply and demand, both quantity and quality... there is no sign that the human resource supply situation for Dalat tourism marketing will improve. While more and more businesses are expanding, creating this need; On the other hand, the so-called "hard" Marketers tend to leave for big markets. Therefore, the demand for human resources for Dalat Tourism Marketing will be even more urgent.

2.2.1.6 Process: Recognizing the relationship between Marketing strategy and brand is an issue that should not be taken lightly, because the brand is the most obvious and vivid result of all Marketing activities... This is an activity that is focused on not only in Dalat but also takes place throughout the country. Responding to the national action program on tourism, Dalat has recently tried to organize major events to promote tourism in the City of Flowers, tourism forms and natural landscapes have also improved over time ( Ka = 3.22 ). But currently in Lam Dong there is no school specializing in tourism, so it significantly affects the development of Lam Dong tourism. In general, through the survey, it shows that the friendliness of Dalat tourism towards tourists is not really attractive, especially in terms of professionalism and diversity, promotions... the efforts to use modern media are not positive.

2.2.1.7 Actual evidence : Tangible evidence of infrastructure serving transactions, customer service, warranty, tourist destinations... However, the reception, consulting and tourist information centers are still small in scale, operating mainly based on the funds of the Tourism Association, without a self-balancing and covering plan, the model and method are not suitable ( Ka = 4.13 ). Agents or branches of Dalat's tourism companies are only available in a few big cities, the network of information and tourism introduction offices has not been built. Tourists coming to Dalat during the organization of events

The event was held with great expectations for a City of Flowers, but the red basalt soil color at the unfinished construction sites was overwhelming. The haphazard construction works made visitors feel sorry for the haste of the people and the tourism industry of Dalat.

2.2.2 Functions and performance of Dalat tourism marketing: Stephan Haeckel , director of the IBM Business Institute, believes that “the future of Marketing is not “a” business function, but “the” business function”. Marketing is so fundamental that it cannot be considered a separate function internally…it is, first of all, the central aspect of the entire industry when viewed from the customer’s perspective. Concern and responsibility for Marketing must permeate all areas, never before have the concepts of “Marketing” been as “hot” as they are today. In Dalat, companies are starting to “struggle” and have had the first positive signs. The efforts of the local tourism industry and the support of relevant levels, departments and sectors in the activities of exchange, cooperation, tourism promotion, in the preparation to welcome and serve tourists and in the efforts of each citizen to create a tourism image of the City in the past time are encouraging. This is also the decisive moment to gain market share on the "home field"; accordingly, direct marketing forms will be used more to overcome the current narrow vision of "quick-fixing" in marketing.

There are many signs that more foreign advertising and marketing service companies will enter the Vietnamese market. Therefore, a big requirement is that domestic marketing service providers must unite into interconnected groups if they want to survive. However, this ability to unite is currently very weak and difficult to improve in the near future. Because , in recent years, when tourism activities of some countries in the region have been particularly vibrant, it has greatly impacted the awareness of tourism managers at both the macro and micro levels of our country about the role of marketing in tourism. However , current Dalat tourism marketing activities are not large-scale and still lack high professionalism. To successfully orient, there needs to be a senior leadership role to ensure that the entire business is oriented towards tourists, competitors and the changing environment. First, let's see what the picture of Dalat tourism has been like in the past time?

2.2.2.1 Tourist market:

Table 2.1 : Number of tourists to Lam Dong (1995 - 2006) Number of visitors

Year

Total number of tourists

Domestic guests

International guests

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Quantity	% Increase over last year	Quantity	% Increase over last year	Quantity	% Increase over last year
1995	550,000	20.5	485,000	21.3	65,000	15.1
1996	605,120	10.0	539,120	11.2	66,000	1.5
1997	600,000	-0.8	529,099	-1.9	70,901	7.4
1998	600,000	0.0	535,000	1.1	65,000	-8.3
1999	603,000	0.5	533,000	-0.4	70,000	7.7
2000	710,000	17.7	640,420	20.2	69,580	-0.6
2001	803,000	13.1	725,000	13.2	78,000	9.86
2002	905,000	12.7	820,000	13.1	85,000	8.97
2003	1,150,000	27.1	1,085,000	32.3	65,000	-23.5
2004	1,350,000	17.4	1,264,000	16.5	86,000	16.5
2005	1,560,972	15.6	1,460,300	15.5	100,600	17.1
2006	1,848,000	18.4	1,751,000	19.9	97,000	- 3.4

(Source : Lam Dong Department of Tourism and Trade)

Comment : According to the statistics table, it can be seen that the total number of tourists coming to Lam Dong is

Copper has generally increased over the years but has not been stable.

 International tourists: In 2000 and 2003, the number of international visitors to Lam Dong decreased due to consecutive terrorism, natural disasters, epidemics... In 2005, international tourists exceeded 100 thousand arrivals. The average growth rate of international tourists reached 3.35% (1.37% from 1996 - 2000 and 7.15% from 2001 - 2006). compared to the whole country at 3%. Market analysis results in 2005 and 2006 show that in the total number of international tourists to Lam Dong, the number of tourists from the US, France, Australia followed by the UK, Taiwan, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, Korea, Singapore... accounted for a large proportion.

 Domestic tourists: Unlike international tourists, domestic tourists have been increasing continuously, especially in recent years. The main reasons are the policy of reducing working hours, increasing rest time for state officials, adjusted salary policies, and improved living standards, which have created conditions for people to have more opportunities to travel. The average growth rate of domestic tourists is 15.64% (7.3% compared to the whole country). In the past 5 years, the growth rate of this tourist market has reached approximately 18%, with inherent advantages and many new attractive types of tourism in the near future. Hopefully, domestic tourists will play an important role in the development of Dalat tourism.

2.2.2.2 Revenue from tourism: The average number of days visitors stay in Dalat is still low, but the average spending level is quite high compared to the national average.