Vietnam’s MICE tourism expected to explode after COVID-19
MICE, a type of tourism combining meetings, incentives, conferences, and events, is evaluated as a solution
Strong growth
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thanh Hoa Province, over the past three months, tourist accommodation establishments in the province have resumed stable operation. The province provides almost 1,000 accommodation establishments with 45,000 rooms (up 3,000 rooms from 2021), in addition to more than 350 apartments and tourist villas, and 192 homestays. Many hotels said the number of guests they served was equal to 70 percent of the number prior to the pandemic.
Most travel businesses in the province are operating on a stable basis. They are now interested in building intra-provincial tours and/or cooperation with partners to attract tourists from other provinces. Tours for individuals and groups of visitors, and MICE (meeting, incentive, conference, event) tours are growing strongly in the province.
Vu Dinh Sy, head of the Lam Kinh historic site’s management authority said the site is attracting a growing number of foreign and domestic visitors. There are combination tours taking tourists to Lam Kinh in addition to other tourist attractions in the province, such as the Cam Luong fish stream, Ho Dynasty Citadel, Sam Son beach, Pu Luong, and Ben En, among others. The management authority is promoting Lam Kinh’s special cultural and historical values while creating favorable conditions for travel businesses and improving service quality, Sy said.
Service price control
The Thanh Hoa Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said service prices in tourist attractions especially sea-related ones have been well managed to ensure visitor satisfaction. Price-related hotlines have been launched to receive visitor feedback.
The department will continue promoting tourism through major events inside the province and beyond, and launch tourism stimulation programs such as the Korean Culture Day in Thanh Hoa, local cultural and culinary festivals, carnivals in Sam Son, cultural festivals of ethnic minority groups, and traditional costume shows, among others. It will also increase tourism cooperation with northern central provinces and tourist centers nationwide.
Thanh Hoa has launched its tourism slogan, “Thanh Hoa Tourism – The Fragrance of Four Seasons” to promote the diversity and richness of the province’s tourism resources and encourage visitors to experience and explore them.
According to Tran Dinh Son, Vice Chair of the Thanh Hoa Tourism Association, tourism connection and promotion have helped Thanh Hoa attract a growing number of visitors. Thanh Hoa has been working closely with the nearby provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh to develop branding and tours.
Vuong Thi Hai Yen, Deputy Director of the Thanh Hoa Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism:
The department is supporting tourism businesses in developing new tourist offerings, improving service quality and training the tourism workforce in order to maintain tourism recovery and growth in the province.
Thanh Tam