Tourism promotion to attract international visitors to Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam tourist cluster

All 3 localities

67%

3. Quang Nam

72%

2. Da Nang

78%

1. Hue

75%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

Question 7. Please measure your satisfaction level with the following factors when going to Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam Tourist Cluster on a scale of 1 to 10.

Question 7: Please measure the satisfaction level with the factors after going to Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam tourist cluster on a scale of 1 to 10.

International tourists to the cluster are often attracted by the factors of climate, weather and culture, which are the characteristics of the Central tourist cluster. Cheap costs and delicious food are among the factors that attract the attention of international tourists, especially Western European tourists. Internet services have been improved, at stations, public places or restaurants, hotels are equipped with free internet and wifi access. This is a point that enhances the image of localities in the tourist cluster.

However, the points that do not satisfy tourists are the transport infrastructure in Vietnam in general and in the localities in the Central tourist cluster in particular. Many tourists are often afraid when talking about crossing the street in Vietnam. Accommodation services also do not really satisfy tourists, especially Western tourists, who often require service quality to meet 4-star or 5-star standards.

Prices of services

8.2

Internet service - Internet service

8.4

Entertainment services

Transportation, infrastructure

Lodging

7.4

5.6

6.7

Food

8.9

Cultural

8.5

Nature, landscape - Nature, landscape

Weather, climate – Air/ Atmosphere/ Weather, climate

7.6

8.6

0 2 4 6 8 10

Tour services, attractions and food are rated at an average level. Transportation, shopping and entertainment services are not highly rated. Opinions say that the Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam tourist cluster has some delicious dishes; but they are not concentrated; the quality of service at restaurants is uneven. In Da Nang, there are not many recreational sea sports although the sea is very beautiful, there is a lack of outdoor tourism and entertainment activities, and tourists are not assured about the safety standards of some adventure sports such as mountain climbing and waterfall sliding.

In the tourist area, there is also a lack of suitable shopping places, there are not many stores with famous brands and guaranteed quality.

Question 8. Other notes for you when coming to Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam tourist cluster

Question 8: Please note Your other comments about Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam tourist cluster

The issues that international tourists pay attention to when coming to tourist clusters often focus on the following issues:

Firstly, there are still many difficulties in immigration procedures such as: Although the road customs procedures at Lao Bao border gate have been improved a lot, they are still cumbersome, take a lot of waiting time, causing limitations for tourists, especially tourist caravans entering Vietnam.

Second, about service quality: Many tourists complain about service quality and food safety in the localities in the cluster in particular and in Vietnam in general. There is a lack of services and entertainment venues. There are no new tourism products for tourists to return to the Central region in general for the second time because the tour programs that tourists have experienced are all familiar destinations. Tourism products are not yet diverse, leading to a change in the travel trends of many tourists. Instead of the too familiar places in the Central region, tourists from countries in the region such as Thailand and Malaysia are now flocking to Korea and Japan. It is known that these places have very good incentive policies and discounted destination tickets for tourists. Along with that, many charter flights have created favorable conditions for tourists such as tourists from Thailand to travel by air. The price policy is still too high for some customer groups because there is no discount link with Vietnamese travel service establishments. Many accommodation establishments are acceptable but have not controlled the situation of mosquitoes and insects. Many tourist facilities are degraded and not clean.

Third, in terms of infrastructure, chaotic traffic in Vietnam is what causes fear for international tourists. The service attitude of the staff at restaurants, accommodation facilities and other service providers is not really professional and inconvenient in moving also makes many international tourists dissatisfied. Lack of stops on the journey, the services provided are not diverse.

Fourth, regarding promotional programs: the language in brochures or in tourist attractions such as museums, sightseeing spots or even on bills at many restaurants is not yet explained in Japanese, Thai, Spanish, or Indian, while tourists often prefer to see their own language abroad.

Fifth, the cluster's brand promotion blog is poor, not providing much information about the cluster's products. Tourists often do not know how to count the cluster's brands.

IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF LEADERSHIP OF TOURISM DEPARTMENTS/

TOURISM PROMOTION CENTER AND REPRESENTATIVES OF TRAVEL BUSINESSES

I. General information about the interview:

General information about the interviewee: Full name, age, gender, education/professional qualifications, work experience; current position and number of years in office.

II. Interview content:

1. Basis for forming the Hue - Quang Nam - Da Nang tourism cluster linkage

Basis for forming the Hue - Quang Nam - Da Nang tourism cluster association Conditions for developing the Hue - Quang Nam - Da Nang tourism cluster Benefits of establishing the Hue - Quang Nam - Da Nang tourism cluster?

Commitment and binding responsibilities of localities in the tourism cluster? (Legal commitment and binding mechanism, sanctions when a member province does not implement the set regulations)?

Organizational structure of the tourist cluster?

+ Is there a separate committee established to carry out cluster activities?

+ Is there any connection with businesses and other socio-economic organizations when carrying out cluster activities?

Tourism is an economic sector that has been identified and focused on investment to develop into a spearhead economic sector according to Resolution 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017 of the Politburo. In the trend of integration and development, especially in the process of Vietnam joining the WTO and deeply integrating with economies and countries around the world, it will certainly create opportunities and challenges for the development of Vietnam's tourism industry. Facing that context and trend; meeting the new requirements of the context, the cooperation between localities for mutual development is an urgent requirement, of utmost importance.

In the period of 2006-2019, Da Nang city has signed a tourism development cooperation program with many localities, including the Quang Nam - Da Nang - Thua Thien Hue cluster through signed programs including: Tourism cooperation program of 03 localities (Quang Nam - Da Nang - Thua Thien Hue) in 2006; Tourism cooperation program between localities of 07 Central provinces (Da Nang, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa signed in 2012); Tourism development cooperation program of Hanoi - Thua Thien Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam in the period of 2016-2020 (signed in 2016).

The cooperation in tourism development of the three localities of Thua Thien Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam has been implemented since 2006 and has achieved certain results. However, due to some differences in the characteristics of local tourism such as low season, development orientation, etc., the cooperation work is still limited. The most important content to strengthen the cooperation in tourism development of the three localities is the role of the Tourism Associations. In the coming time, the Tourism Associations of the localities need to proactively have specific plans and programs for cooperation contents in promoting the role of a bridge between enterprises and state management agencies to develop tourism and ensure that the cooperation activities bring high efficiency.

According to the assessment of the General Department of Tourism, the Thua Thien Hue - Da Nang - Quang Nam cluster is identified as a key area for tourism development in the country, building a regional brand. Therefore, in recent times, the cooperation and linkage in tourism development between the three localities has been promoted and is well evaluated as one of the models of inter-provincial destination management, aiming for high efficiency, cost reduction and ensuring the principles of sustainable development.

Recently, with the support of the EU project, the Tourism Association and the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of 3 localities have coordinated with the project experts to research, survey and collect opinions, and build 3 separate product groups: Heritage Road, Beach Resort and Ecological Road and Community Tourism. During the support period of the EU Project, 3 localities have established 3 working groups including Product Development, Human Resource Development and Tourism Promotion and Advertising.

In addition, the locality is also considering recommending the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to propose to the Prime Minister to adjust the tourism planning of the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2020, vision 2030 because this Planning delimits Da Nang and Quang Nam to the South Central Coast Region while Thua Thien Hue province belongs to the North Central Region, this greatly affects the coordination of tourism development of the three localities. According to the General Department of Tourism, the cluster of Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang and Quang Nam is identified as the key tourism development area of the country in the coming years.

2. Tourism promotion activities in the cluster?

What activities have been carried out to promote and attract tourists to the tourist cluster?

What is the difference between cluster promotion and independent local tourism promotion?

Besides cluster tourism promotion activities, does each locality carry out its own promotion activities?

Is there an annual report evaluating tourism promotion and linkage activities? Is there an annual action plan?

Human resources, costs to carry out promotional activities? Promotional tools: advertising, website?

Is there any study on tourism promotion models in tourism clusters from foreign countries and other localities? What are the costs and individuals involved? Lessons learned from promoting tourism clusters?

Linking activities on human resource training in the tourism industry, resource sharing, chain linking activities (each locality focuses on a specific service/advantage).

Participation of businesses and human resource training units in chain promotion planning?

Promotion model: public-private partnership or which model?

Recognizing the importance of linking together to create strength for tourism development, while implementing the policy of promoting tourism development of the Politburo, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the General Department of Tourism, the People's Committees of cities/provinces, and tourism organizations/projects... based on the potential and conditions for tourism development of Da Nang with localities, especially the location and role of the focal point for distributing visitors and the tourism market, especially the domestic tourist market, Da Nang with localities has concretized the linkage activities through the Tourism Development Cooperation Program with the contents of linkage on state management, tourism promotion, tourism product development, coordination to support tourism businesses...

Over the period of implementing cooperation and association in tourism development, it has achieved results and implemented a number of contents such as: exchanging and providing state management information in the tourism sector (exchanging expertise on planning, travel activities, hotels, inspection, tourism environment, security and order, etc.). Coordinating to support businesses, organizations, and individuals operating in tourism-related activities; Coordinating to support tourists coming to the locality; Participating in fair activities, etc.

- Regarding information exchange and state management: Tourism Departments, Inspectorates, and Tourism Promotion Information Centers among localities have coordinated well in regularly exchanging professional experiences and providing information.

Information on the development of tourism products, tourist attractions, tour programs and new local tourism products to introduce to domestic and foreign businesses and on mass media. Support tourism businesses to create conditions for tour guides in rare markets such as China, Korea, Thailand to participate in guiding. Regarding inspection work: In the past, the Inspectorate of the Department of Tourism of Da Nang has connected, exchanged information, and supervised travel activities and tour guiding that were well implemented by the Inspectorate of the departments; notified information about violations of tour guides for other units to inspect and handle.

- Tourism promotion and advertising: Localities have implemented tourism promotion and advertising (mainly in tourism promotion and advertising of the three localities of Quang Nam - Da Nang - Thua Thien Hue) by increasing the scale, attracting participation, focusing and unifying the promotion of the image of the three localities' tourist destinations, specifically: Organizing tourism promotion programs of the three localities in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi; Coordinating participation in domestic fairs such as: Vietnam International Tourism Fair - VITM Hanoi, ITE Tourism Fair in Ho Chi Minh City; Increase the frequency of appearance of tourism images of the three localities at international fairs such as Travex Fair in Manila, Philippines within the framework of activities of ATF (Asian Tourism Forum), ITB-Berlin Fair and the program introducing tourism of the three localities at City Cube Berlin Convention Center, Federal Republic of Germany, IT&CMA Fair in Bangkok - Thailand, JATA Tourism Expo Japan Fair in Japan....

- Welcoming and serving Famtrip and Presstrip delegations: Localities regularly coordinate with the Tourism Association and Travel Association to welcome and serve domestic and international survey delegations, Famtrips and Presstrips invited by each locality to survey and promote tourism between localities or organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the General Department of Tourism.

- Publishing promotional publications: Localities have coordinated to publish a number of local tourism promotional publications, travel bags, etc. to send to tourists participating in fairs, roadshows, etc.

- Localities have supported the media to promote tourism on occasions of welcoming domestic and foreign press groups, film crews, and travel bloggers, such as the international press group coming to Da Nang for the Clipper Race 2016, and television stations filming travel reports aimed at tourists.

domestic programs such as Nguoi Viet 4 Phuong, Vietnam Integration Program, Vietnamese Culture News, 12 O'clock Story... and coordinate with international TV channels such as Chanel News Asia, Asia Today, Hong Kong TV, History... to promote Da Nang tourism to key international markets; cooperate with Future in Best Entertainment film studio, History Channel Asia to make a film in Da Nang to promote on Korean TV channels KBS, SBS and other TV channels in Asian countries...

3. Results of implementing general promotion activities of the cluster:

+ How does the number of international tourists in each province change after the cluster's joint promotion activities?

+ International tourism revenue of each province? How does it contribute to the province's GDP?

+ How has the number of international tourists in the cluster changed after the joint promotion activities?

+ International tourism revenue of each province? How does it contribute to the GDP of the tourism cluster?

+ Cost of implementing cluster promotion? Of each locality?

+ Resources for promotion of the cluster? of each locality?

+ Brand and reputation of the tourism cluster? Of each locality? => will it increase after linking into clusters?

+ Capacity and service quality in the tourism industry of each locality and of the whole cluster?

What factors affect tourism promotion in the cluster?

Difficulties in carrying out tourism cluster linkages, Difficulties in carrying out tourism promotion activities in clusters?

What are the causes of these limitations? What solutions should be focused on?