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| Handing souvenirs to international visitors to Hue |
The growth in the number of visitors
In the first nine months of 2024, the number of visitors to Hue is estimated at nearly 3.1 million, an increase of 26.7% over the same period last year. Notably, the number of international visitors are estimated to reach 996,300, an increase of 33.6% over the same period last year. Among the top 10 markets for tourists to Hue, the most prominent are Taiwan (China), Thailand, the U.S., Malaysia, France, the UK, Australia, Germany, Spain, and South Korea.
The leader of the Provincial Department of Tourism said that although the summer months were usually the low season for international visitors, the number of visitors from countries around the world coming to Hue for experiences this year is very large. During the September 2nd holidays alone, accommodation establishments in Hue served about 16,000 international visitors, an impressive increase of 49.7% over the same period.
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After the COVID-19 pandemic, Thua Thien Hue’s tourism industry has made important steps to recover, and the number of tourists to Hue, including international ones, has gradually increased over the years. Since Terminal T2, Phu Bai International Airport was put into operation, Hue has opened direct flights from Thua Thien Hue to Kunming City (Yunnan Province, China); Thua Thien Hue to Seoul (Korea); Thua Thien Hue to Taipei, Taiwan (China) in the form of charter (charter for the whole flight) and is promoting and opening more flights from Thua Thien Hue to Taichung, Taiwan (China) and some other routes.
Mr. Nguyen Van Phuc, Director of the Provincial Department of Tourism, affirmed that grasping the development trend and the desire to connect and support from travel agencies as well as customer market groups interested in the Central region, Thua Thien Hue’s tourism industry had promoted regional linkages with the Central provinces and cities to promote, advertise and attract international visitors. In particular, the tourism industry focuses on potential markets. Typically, in the first seven months of 2024, there were about 165,000 visitors from Australia staying in Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang and Quang Nam, reaching nearly 59% of the total number of Australian visitors in Vietnam. That result partly comes from regional linkage solutions, promotion and advertisement, especially through survey programs combined with communication for Australian travel business groups.
Currently, the markets of visitors from Taiwan (China), Thailand and European and American countries are growing significantly again. In particular, Vietnam tourism is about to enter the peak season of international visitors, which is a great opportunity for Hue tourism to attract visitors and expand potential tourist markets from many countries and territories around the world.
Towards the message "Tourism and Peace"
This year, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will celebrate World Tourism Day on September 27th, 2024 in Tbilisi, Georgia, with the theme “Tourism and Peace”. According to the statement, the greatest strength of tourism, in addition to being a driving force for economic development, is also a bridge connecting people together in non-confrontational situations. This can promote peace through cultural exchange, understanding and tolerance.
The leader of the Provincial Department of Tourism affirmed that Vietnam is a peace-loving nation. For Hue people, the characteristics of elegance, gentleness, friendliness, hospitality associated with traditional cultural values are very suitable for tourism activities associated with the message “Tourism and peace”. Currently, Hue is making efforts to build and preserve a Hue tourism environment that is Civilized - Friendly - Safe - Rich in identity in order to make Hue a leading attractive tourist destination in the country and the region. In particular, the tourism industry has coordinated with units and functional agencies to deploy many solutions to ensure security and safety for tourists, repelling tourism problems. At the same time, the tourism industry also organizes regular and periodic training for professional tourism staff to build up professional skills as well as open, friendly attitudes towards tourists.
Recently, Time Out Magazine (the UK) released a list of “Nine safest destinations in the world for female solo travelers”, and Vietnam is the only Southeast Asian representative on this list. The editors of Time Out Magazine did not forget to suggest tourists explore Hue because of its peaceful, safe, friendly features and the attractive cuisine of the ancient capital. That shows the international community’s appreciation for the initiative of the local authority of Hue City and the tourism industry in creating a local tourism environment: Civilized - Friendly - Safe - Rich in identity, attractive and suitable for this year’s tourism theme.
Mr. Andreas, a German tourist, shared: “Vietnam in general and Hue in particular are tourist destinations that my friends and I really like. Here, the people are friendly, affectionate, and the scenery is peaceful. In each locality, there are cultural exchanges between many ethnic groups, and the people are willing to introduce and create opportunities for us to exchange.”
According to Mr. Phuc, the tourism industry will continue to build and perfect products, upgrade service quality in parallel with promoting and advertising tourism to international tourist markets in the near future. In particular, it will focus on developing sustainable tourism through activities to reduce plastic waste, protect the environment and preserve biodiversity, form green and healthcare tours associated with heritage culture to bring fresh air to tourists. In addition, the tourism industry will also promote cultural exchange activities and festivals, creating opportunities for tourists to experience and better understand the unique culture of the ancient capital.