Community-based tourism, unique lifestyles and traditional cultural values offer major potential for development in the central region and highlands, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said at a tourism forum in Tam Ky City last Saturday.

A pristine beach in Da Nang. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

But, Mr Dam said, too many barriers were preventing the region’s tourism from taking off. “A series of obstacles, including visa exemption, infrastructure, accommodation, environment require joint action by different agencies,” Mr Dam said. “International tourists don’t come to Viet Nam only to stay at luxury hotels and resorts.  They are lured by the unique lifestyle and traditional culture that they cannot find elsewhere in the world,” he said.

“Culture in the central region and highlands should be attractions to international tourists. The region should boost community-based tourism to boost sustainable green industry and stable incomes,” he added.

The deputy PM also warned that standard of human resource and hospitality management in the region has yet to reach the required level to serve luxury tourism, as well as the environment.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien remarked that the central and Central Highlands are important areas in the national tourism development strategy through 2020, with a vision towards 2030, he said, referring to Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, and Lam Dong as successful examples in developing tourism into a key industry for local economy.

Fishing in An Binh Islet of Ly Son Island off the coast of Quang Ngai Province. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Dr Tran Du Lich, head of the Consultative Group for Development of the Central Coastal Region, said tourism’s potential has yet evaluated as a key industry for future’s development in Viet Nam, and the ‘green’ industry was received unfair treatment in comparison to other industries.

Mr Lich said tourism in the region has yet to build up its luxury brands due to a lack of human resources, while investment funds have been poured in too many fields.

“Tourism potential in the central and central highlands region has yet set on right launching pad, while the industry received too little preferential as cement or steel industries were enjoyed from the governmental policy,” Mr Lich spoke out at the forum, which was held on Saturday.

He said the tourism service in the region was designed for all tourists, but not high-end global tourists and premium services.

A night view of the Hoai River in Hoi An. The central region and highlands have a huge potential to build luxury brand among world tourism. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Mr Lich suggested hospitality must be concerned as one of the most important factor for future’s development in tourism in the region.

The director of the Viet Nam Institute of Economics, Tran Dinh Thien said tourism in 19 provinces and cities in the region has been booming rapidly over past decades.

Mr Thien, who is a member of the national consultancy Council on financial policy and monetary, said the region should build a trust and attraction to global tourists, and a world level downtown and entertainment.

Expert Vu Dinh Anh said tourism in Viet Nam will struggle against fund deficiency in next five years when the state budget will be limited for the industry.

Mr Anh said tourism industry, which was invested total fund of US$18.5 billion in 2011-15, will need $24 billion for 2016-20 development in creating an estimated revenue of $35 billion in 2020.

He said preferential tax policy for tourism has yet concerned, while a fund for tourism industry is not established.

Chairman of Viet Nam Tourism Association, Mr Vu The Binh said tourism capacity in the region has been underdeveloped in comparison to HCM City and Ha Noi.

Despite of hosting 6.4 million foreign tourists in 2016, the region only earned VNĐ71 trillion ($3.1 billion) – 17.7% of the country’s tourism income.

The region has nearly 400 hotels and resorts – 39% of country’s total – but only 49% of room had served for tourists.

Meanwhile, number of travel agencies accounted 10% of the country, and tour guides (2,000 persons) only took a 12% of the country’s total tour guides.

Mr Binh also said 19 provinces and cities in the region employed 350,000 direct and indirect employees, but nearly 40% are unskillful.

He said the region had developed 12 airports including 3 international airports – Da Nang, Phu Bai of Hue and Cam Ranh of Khanh Hoa – but only one duty-free shop was built in Da Nang.

The forum, which included in agenda of the 6th Quang Nam Heritage Festival, was a chance to review and evaluate real potential of tourism and hurdles that the industry needs to clear out for future growth.

(Source: VNS/VNA)