Khanh Hoa: Efforts to connect tourism with India

After the Covid-19 outbreak, the number of Chinese and Russian travellers to Khanh Hoa dropped drastically, therefore the tourism business made attempts to discover new sources of visitors in the Indian market. After several actions aimed at fostering collaboration in tourism development, it is time for firms on both sides to produce distinct goods.

Promote cooperation

Recent tourism operations have been seriously harmed as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. To reestablish tourism operations and expand the number of international visitors, the Khanh Hoa tourism sector has pushed a variety of events aimed at attracting Indian tourists. In a short period, the Embassy of India in Vietnam and the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province have implemented many projects to encourage business travel between the two nations. Recently, the conference "Tourism of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa and India - Safe, pleasant, and attractive destination" was held in Nha Trang.

Mr Le Huu Hoang, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, stated that with the participation of the entire political system and the efforts of businesses, organizations, and individuals operating in the tourism-services sector, Khanh Hoa tourism has partially recovered and developed under the current situation.

The tourism cooperation conference between the province of Khanh Hoa and Indian communities, organizations, and businesses has just taken place to rehabilitate and grow the tourism industry in a new era under rigorous control. pandemic. "I hope that through this event, the two sides will gain a deeper understanding of each other's products, services, and tourism. Concurrently, in 2022, discuss, share, and unite local and regional tourist cooperation approaches practically and efficiently "Mr Le Huu Hoang elucidated.

In addition, it is anticipated that the Indian Cultural Exchange event would take place in Khanh Hoa in June. The Provincial People's Committee and the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City met throughout July and August. Ho Chi Minh City will co-organize a seminar on cooperation in digital transformation, human resource development in science and information technology, and the construction of smart cities; promoting Indian tourism to the South Central provinces (Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan) and bringing Indian business delegations to survey tourism in the provinces; and promoting direct flights connecting Cam Ranh and India.

There is still plenty to accomplish.

According to travel agency officials, with the largest population in the world, the Indian tourism sector is a "piece of cake." This country of about 1.3 billion people has a middle class of 200 to 300 million people with a significant need for shopping, entertainment, and consumption. In addition to appreciating attractive resorts, Indian visitors also like consuming, eating, and partying. They frequently go with a group of friends or family and spend a great deal. If this market is effectively tapped, it will be an extremely promising source of new clients.

To attract Indian travellers to Khanh Hoa for leisure and relaxation, however, a substantial amount of work remains. This is a multireligious nation, therefore groups of tourists will adhere to various religions. Therefore, businesses must learn to suit the diverse dining preferences of each guest group. Indians are also cheerful, laid-back, and amicable, but their service expectations are quite distinct. Therefore, to quickly exploit this market, travel firms must prepare personnel who are well-versed in Indian culture and people and have an effective exploitation strategy. To market the destination, the government and organisations must routinely prepare to engage in cultural and artistic exchanges, conduct roadshows, etc. This is something that the Thai tourism business excels at.

Mr Vu Dang Duy Phuoc, executive director of Cam Ranh International Terminal Joint Stock Company, stated that direct flights to India are required to establish ideal conditions for Indian tourists. The corridor between India and Cam Ranh has enormous potential.

Before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of Indian visitors to Cam Ranh was soaring, jumping by 163 per cent in 2019 and continuing to rise through the first three months of 2020. If the Covid-19 outbreak has no effect, population growth will continue. Therefore, the creation of a direct connection between India and Cam Ranh will facilitate the effective exploitation of new visitor sources, resulting in the expansion of the tourism industry.

Mr Tran Minh Duc Vice Chairman of the Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association and Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Travel Association, has concluded that the recent tourism connection efforts between Khanh Hoa and India are a highly encouraging indicator. However, there is a step from promoting to having a tourism product. "We have not had a delegation to assess the Indian market for a very long time.

On the other hand, there are only a few people that study the Khanh Hoa market on their own. To truly attract Indian tourists, the first step is to open direct flights with India as soon as possible; the travel agents on both sides must work together to develop specialized tourism goods; only then will the tourism connection with India be truly effective "Mr Duc confirmed this.

Nguyen Xuan