Khanh Hoa:

Promoting international tourist market

Recently, international visitors to Khanh Hoa have increased. This is a positive signal for the province's tourism industry to optimistically reach its goal of welcoming 3 million international visitors in 2024.

Promotion and advertising

Until now, Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa has always been a favorite destination for international tourists. Before the Covid-19 epidemic, international visitors accounted for 55% of the province's guests. In 2023, Khanh Hoa welcomed 2.4 million international visitors. On that basis, the tourism industry aims to welcome at least 3 million international visitors in 2024 (an increase of 25% compared to 2023). This is a big challenge because the number of visitors from markets such as China and Russia recovered more slowly than expected, and there are no direct flights from Russia to Khanh Hoa. Therefore, from the beginning of 2024, the province's tourism industry will strive to implement many tourism promotion programs in key markets, coordinating with the aviation industry to organize charter flights and open new routes to create conditions to attract international tourists to Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa. “In the first quarter of 2024, the Department of Tourism coordinated with relevant departments and branches to organize a tourism and trade promotion conference in Khanh Hoa province in Kazakhstan within the framework of the working group of the provincial leaders; organizing a tourism promotion conference in Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa in Zhejiang, China. The Department of Tourism is building documents and preparing content for the delegation of provincial leaders to visit and work in Thailand in mid-April...", said Nguyen Thi Le Thanh - the Director of the Department of Tourism.

Along with the tourism industry, Cam Ranh International Airport and Cam Ranh International Terminal Joint Stock Company will also forward promotion, advertising and association activities to attract more international flights to Khanh Hoa, notably participating in the Routes Asia 2024 in Malaysia. According to information from Cam Ranh International Terminal Joint Stock Company, after the conference, a number of airlines raised the issue of opening flights to Khanh Hoa.

In 2024, Khanh Hoa aims to welcome 9 million visitors, including 3 million international visitors; 40,100 billion VND of total revenue from tourists. According to a report from the Department of Tourism, in the first quarter, the whole province welcomed 2.1 million visitors, 2.7 times more than the same period in 2023, including more than 1.2 million international visitors, 5.2 times higher than the same period. Total revenue from tourists is estimated at 11,608.8 billion VND, 2.6 times higher than the same period in 2023.

The reputation of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa tourism and the promotion efforts of the province's tourism industry have been effective in attracting tourists to Khanh Hoa. Currently, every day there are 17 flights from Korea, 16 flights from China to Khanh Hoa; 5 to 7 flights/week from Thailand, Kazakhstan and Malaysia. Vietravel Nha Trang branch also plans to coordinate with Japanese partners to organize 6 charter flights to bring Japanese tourists to Khanh Hoa this year.

Diversifying products

To attract international visitors in particular and tourists in general, in 2024, the province's tourism industry will also promote destinations through tourism and entertainment events held in Nha Trang. The focus is on Nha Trang Sea Tourism Festival 2024 and Nha Trang International Light Bay Festival 2024 in June and July. According to Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Nha Trang International Light Bay Festival 2024 (light show) art creation using drones with the participation of 4 competing teams Vietnam, India, China, and Korea will be a highlight event in this year's summer tourism peak.

According to tourism experts, the province's tourism industry needs to strengthen links to create new products to attract international tourists, with a focus on product links and promotional communications. Regarding this issue, Nguyen Thi Le Thanh said that, following the direction of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee, in recent years, the provincial tourism industry has promoted linked activities with tourism in neighboring localities such as: Phu Yen, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong, Dak Lak... In promoting tourism, the Department of Tourism and Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association always emphasize that Khanh Hoa is the gateway to the entire South Central region and Central Highlands. Visitors to Khanh Hoa not only relax and visit the land of Agarwood, but can also go up to Da Lat to enjoy the cool air, enjoy the beautiful scenery of the land of thousands of flowers or go to Buon Ma Thuot to explore the mountain and forest.

Information from online travel sites such as Booking.com, Agoda.com, Traveloka.com... shows that Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa is a favorite destination for international tourists. Most recently, Agoda.com said that Nha Trang is one of the 5 favorite destinations of Korean tourists when traveling in Vietnam. This is a positive signal for Khanh Hoa Tourism industry and is the basis for the industry to complete its goal of welcoming 3 million international visitors this year. However, to develop sustainable tourism, Khanh Hoa tourism needs to synchronously implement many solutions, from product development, promotional communications to creating a safe and friendly tourism environment.

Xuan Thanh

Translated by T.T