VN - emerging regional star in tourism sector

According to the article, in 2017, Viet Nam recorded the largest increase in tourist arrivals for the region, with each tourist spending an average of US$685. The country is expected to record an even bigger increase in 2018 as it recorded a 25.2%growth for tourist arrivals in the first quarter of the year, compared to the same period in 2017. 

It also highlights that Viet Nam’s rising star is the result of a concerted effort by the government there in nurturing an attractive tourism sector, as well as understanding and solving the challenges faced.

In 2017, 90 tourism accommodations were recognized as three- to five-star hotels in Viet Nam, of which 13 are in the five-star class, 31 are in the four-star class and 46 in the three-star class. Currently, the country has 25,600 tourist accommodations, offering more than 508,000 rooms. This is an increase of 12%total accommodations and 11% total rooms compared to 2016.

In moving forward, Viet Nam has identified barriers to incoming tourists that need to be solved to improve its attractiveness to foreign arrivals. These include a limited visa policy compared to other countries, which was ranked by the Global Tourism Competitiveness Report at 116 in terms of visa requirements, the lowest among ASEAN countries.

The article supposes that: Affordable air travel is making far-flung places more accessible, while shifts in life priorities amongst millennials who choose to travel more compared to making other major purchases continues to push growth in the sector. Viet Nam and Southeast Asia in general need to take advantage of this growth and position themselves as some of the best destinations for international tourism.

By Thuy Dung