Tourism in Vietnam suffers fall

Tourism in Vietnam suffers fall

The number of foreign tourists to Vietnam dropped nearly 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period last year, mainly due to a dramatic decline in visitors from Russia and China, tourism officials said last week. The number of Chinese tourists fell by just over 40 per cent in the first quarter following the dispute between the two nations over islands in the South China Sea while the Russians have been forced to put their travel plans on hold following the decline of the ruble. Vietnam has been struggling to compete for tourist dollars with regional rivals like Thailand. Industry leaders have acknowledged that Vietnam has had trouble generating repeat business because of such concerns as pollution, second-rate facilities and often shoddy customer service. – DPA

 

Talking social networking

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Human Capital Development Committee will organise a PATA Youth Symposium on April 23 at Sichuan Tourism School. On the theme “Technology and Social Media for Tourism”, the Symposium will commence prior to the PATA Annual Summit 2015 and aims to attract hundreds of young professionals and students from overseas and around China. The symposium is designed to present ideas and generate discussion to enhance understanding about ways in which technology and social media will affect both the industry and the next generation of tourism professionals in China.

 

A land of art

The Dutch are trying to shake off their global image as a country of cute little windmills and remind tourists that the Netherlands is also home to some of the world’s greatest paintings. They believe visitors could additionally get more out of raw nature in the coastal nation’s national parks. The fact is, when many people hear “Holland”, they think of tulips, windmills and wooden clogs, says Anouk Susan, director of the Dutch Bureau for Tourism (NBTC). Many tourists also unaccountably miss the museums of the Big Five of Dutch art, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh, Mondrian and Escher.

 

Growth in China business travel forecast

China’s business travel market will post year-on-year growth rates of 16 to 17 per cent this year, according to the 2014 China Business Travel Market Report released by Ctrip.com International, China’s largest online travel agency. The report said apart from the steady growth expectations, speedy and further reforms of state-owned enterprises, easier financing options for small and medium-sized firms and more free trade zones will promote business travel this year. “Most of these factors are also catalysts for the ‘going global’ efforts of Chinese enterprises. Other factors like the stable economic growth also have a multiplier effect on business tourism,” says Liu Xiexie, marketing director of Ctrip’s business travel department. – China Daily/ANN

 

All abroad for J’burg

Etihad Airways is now able to offer enhanced access to and from South Africa following the introduction of a codeshare deal with South African Airways (SAA) for a new daily service between Johannesburg and Abu Dhabi. The new South African Airways service is operated by two-cabin Airbus A330-200 aircraft, configured to carry 36 passengers in Business Class and 186 in Economy Class. The new service has been introduced as part of the expansion in the strategic partnership between the two airlines, and complements Etihad Airways’ existing daily service from Abu Dhabi to Johannesburg, providing travellers with a double-daily service and greater choice and flexibility whether flying from Africa, the United Arab Emirates or beyond.