Amid traditional tourist markets such as Russia and China facing numerous difficulties, the south-central province of Khanh Hoa is targeting the Korean market as it seeks to revive the local tourism industry, according to industry insiders.
Korean tourists visit Ponagar Cham towers in Nha Trang city
The locality is organizing a number of tourism promotion schemes in a bid to attract tourists from the Republic of Korea (RoK).
As part of these efforts, the Korean media have introduced images of Nha Trang and other popular tourist attractions to Korean people.
Ly Xuong Can, Vietnam’s tourism ambassador in the RoK, has recently arrived in Nha Trang alongside Korean actors to promote tourism by exploring Vinwonders Nha Trang, visiting the Hon Tam tourist area, going to mud bath spots, enjoying a night market tour, and sampling delicious seafood.
At present, there are nine flights per week from Korean airports to Cam Ranh International Airport, with the Incheon - Cam Ranh route expected to have a frequency of one flight per day by the end of March.
Since the beginning of the year, Khanh Hoa province has welcomed approximately 100,000 Korean tourists, duly accounting for the majority of foreign visitors to the locality.
Local businesses have strived to upgrade accommodation facilities, strengthen connectivity, and train human resources, as well as designing attractive tours specifically for Korean tourists.
Despite these positive signs, there remain hurdles due to the RoK continuing to restrict the issuance of tourist visas for Vietnamese people, a factor which has led to a decrease in terms of the number of Vietnamese passengers traveling on flights between the RoK and Vietnam. This situation has also forced several airlines to push up the price of tickets, thereby causing tour prices to increase.
Cung Quynh Anh, deputy director of Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Tourism, pointed out that Korean tourists are one of the province’s key customers as they have high spending rates and make use of high-class services.
In order to further lure Korean tourists and fulfill the target of welcoming 1.5 million international tourists this year, the local tourism industry continues to upgrade facilities, and enhance linkages among travel and transportation firms to offer the best possible services for visitors moving forward.