Hanoi plans big bash

THE Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) expects Hanoi to achieve 27,000 billion dong (US$1.7 billion) in tourist receipts, two million international visitor arrivals and eight million domestic arrivals by 2010 as a result of the upcoming 1,000-year anniversary celebration of Hanoi.

In 2007, Hanoi received 18,743 billion dong (US$1.17 billion) in tourist receipts, 1.3 million international tourist arrivals and 5.4 million domestic tourist arrivals.

VNAT and the Hanoi People?s Committee are also in talks with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to expand Visit Hanoi Year 2010 into a national visit year.

Although detailed information of the celebration activities have not yet been released, a national countdown in the form of a huge digital clock on display in the city centre kicked off on January 13.

Inbound travel agents and hoteliers in Vietnam are confident the celebrations will cause a positive ripple effect across other tourist destinations in Vietnam.

Furama Resort Danang director of business development, Mr Nguyen Duc Quynh, said: ?Many international tourists who come to attend the celebrations will either come earlier or stay on to see the rest of Vietnam. Most tourists visit at least two destinations in Vietnam. Twinning Hanoi with Danang will be a good choice. The tourism administration has also promised to add more tours for the event.?

Lac Hong Voyages executive director, Mr Jonathan Tran Vinh Loc, said: ?Danang and the other destinations will benefit. We expect to see a 35 per cent increase in inbound business in 2010 during the celebrations. We have plans to develop new tour programmes with extensions to Halong Bay, Sapa and around the smaller provinces of Hanoi.?

Malaysia-based New Asia Holidays general manager, Mr Raaj Navaratnaa added the event would create an interest as no other country had come up with a 1,000-year anniversary celebration. ?The NTO must identify a local representative or a public relations agency to create the hype. If funds are a constraint, ASEANTA can help as a promotional agent. Details of the programme must be made known early so we can start creating packages for longhaul markets. We plan to do pre- and post-tours to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in conjunction with the Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010 in Singapore.?

However, some overseas travel agents are less enthusiastic as Vietnam is a difficult destination to book due to limited rooms, expensive room rates and limited flights from some Asian cities, and say putting Hanoi in the spotlight in 2010 would make it even more difficult.

Malaysian Harmony Tour & Travel supervisor - Muslim department, Ms Norah Jelani told TTG Asia Vietnam was an expensive destination for Malaysians. A four-day/three-night package to Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi and Halong Bay costs RM1,700 (US$536) to RM1,800. In comparison, a six-day/four-night package to Beijing costs RM1,800 and a four-day/

three-night package to Hong Kong (inclusive of a visit to Disneyland) costs RM2,100.

Overseas agents who sell tours to Vietnam are also calling for VNAT to roll out details of Hanoi?s 1,000-year anniversary celebrations as soon as possible.

Ms Norah said: ?A marketing campaign will create  stronger interest among Malaysians, provided the events are appealing. We need more details, and they should be made known as early as 2009, so travel agents can come up with packages and start to promote them.?

Vietlink International (Singapore) Travel executive director, Mr Frankie Chiang, said he had not heard anything about the anniversary celebrations yet. ?But I am sure tourists will be encouraged to visit Hanoi and the other cities. Problem is, will there be enough rooms to support that many tourists??

Hanoi has 543 properties with a total of 13,281 rooms. There are 5,450 rooms in hotels rated between three- and five-star. Only nine are five-star properties. With the limited supply of luxury hotels in Hanoi, occupancy stands at 80 to 90 per cent throughout the year. To solve this problem, the government has allocated funds to build hotels and has been encouraging the reconstruction and refurbishment of older properties.

The construction of five new hotels in Hanoi will inject an additional 2,200 rooms by 2010, and it is hoped this will allow the

city to receive the surge in tourists during the anniversary celebrations.

Mr Quynh said: ?Although there are some five-star hotel projects that have started in Hanoi, we expect the city to be overbooked. As Danang is only an hour?s flight from Hanoi, hotels in Danang will be a good alternative.?

Tourists who wish to connect to Ho Chi Minh City or Danang from Hanoi can do so via Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines, Vasco and Vietjet. Pacific Airlines and Vietjet are low-cost carriers.

VNAT is confident there will be sufficient flights to connect tourists from Hanoi to other Vietnamese cities.

VNAT international co-operation department director, Mr Pham Quang Hung, said: ?Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines usually increase their frequencies during the peak season. When Vasco and Vietjet start operations in 2010, the number of flights will increase. I think these carriers will be able to meet the demand.?