Time to stimulate tourism demand
Under the influence of the pandemic, it was not until after four years of waiting that the next Hue Traditional Craft Festival is held instead of the usual biennial period. A four-year reunion of famous craft villages nationwide is, therefore, more longed for.
Further, the holiday of the Hung Kings' Death Anniversary, April 30 and May 1 take place concurrently, creating a five-day holiday. All of them promise a festival attracting a large number of tourists.
Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Department of Tourism judged that the holiday of April 30 and May 1 this year lasts long, so the survey shows that the travel demand of domestic tourists will rise. This also ushers in the summer tourist season this year.
Especially for Thua Thien Hue, Hue Traditional Craft Festival is the biggest festival event of the 2023 four-season festival. Therefore, the festival week is an event for the tourism sector to focus on solutions for exploiting attractiveness, and uniqueness and stimulating tourists to reach Hue for an upcoming important rendezvous in Hue City in late April and early May.
In tourists’ eyes, the upcoming April 30 and May 1 holiday is a golden opportunity for Vietnam tourism in general and for localities to plan to exploit special holidays by domestic tourists.
Based on the visitors’ interest shown through booking trends, Booking.com compiled a list of 10 destinations in Vietnam, which are most sought after by tourists during the April and May holiday. Thua Thien Hue ranks 6th among the most chosen destinations nationwide.
According to Mr. Vo Le Nhat, Chairman of Hue City People's Committee, Head of the Organizing Committee of Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023, the target of the Organizing Committee is to continue to organize a high-quality and effective festival, which is the city's festival brand, contributing to the successful implementation of the province's four-season festival project.
The organizing board also aims to promote the image of Hue tourism, the Hue Traditional Craft Festival brand associated with cultural tourism, and community-based tourism to experience traditional craft villages, contributing to the general growth of the tourism sector in Hue, Central Region in particular and the whole country in general.
With the target that the 2023 tourism revenue will rise by 13% against 2022; the total retail sales of goods and turnover of consumer services will rise by 15% against 2022. Hue City affirmed that the Hue Traditional Craft Festival, which take place from April 28 to May 5, will be the peak week for the city to develop the solutions to concretize the above targets.
Tourists’ needs met
Hue City People's Committee is making urgent preparations for the organization of the Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023, with many art programs and festivals imbued with the traditional cultural identity of the ancient and modern Hue.
Aside from the main programs usually offered in the previous festivals, this year's Hue Traditional Craft Festival also has the main programs and events organized for the first time. This festival especially emphasizes the internationality with cultural and art exchange programs between the twin cities worldwide and nationwide with Hue...
“The festival space is distributed in many other areas in Hue City. The most important space in particular stretches along both sides of the Perfume River. It creates open and cohesive spaces between the community, tourists and artists, craft villages, etc., enabling tourists to perceive a festival organized to serve tourists who choose Hue as an entertainment destination,” said Mr. Vo Le Nhat.
Chairman of Hue City People's Committee also emphasized that despite the difference in the mode of performance from the previous festivals, Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 shows "Hue material", Hue traditional craft, Hue people; promotes the land and image of Hue to friends and tourists from near and far. It is a crucial factor in contributing to tourism demand stimulation and socio-economic development.
With the presence of about 70 typical and famous traditional craft villages and establishments in the country and the province, the organization of Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 is also geared towards a more important target than economics. The festival stimulates the community's demand for the use and purchase of these traditional products, stimulates tourism demand so that it can bring higher economic value, develop traditional crafts, promote culture, and create favorable conditions for Hue people to do business and earn a better income.
2023 is the 30th anniversary of the Complex of Hue Monuments recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage and 20 years of Hue Royal Court Music recognized as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Therefore, Hue Traditional Craft Festival 2023 is also a big highlight to honor and promote cultural and heritage values. The strengths need to be exploited to attract tourists.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, the tourism sector has encouraged travel businesses to proactively build new tours associated with the activities of Hue Traditional Craft Festival week. The sector proactively forms and builds new services to supplement and create more diversity for tourists to the festival. Simultaneously, it requires hotels and tourist attractions to prepare adequate human and material resources for the peak week to welcome tourists to Hue.