Chinese, South Korean tourists flock to Central Vietnam

Foreign tourists enjoy an ecotourism in Quang Nam

Of them, international visitors are 2.8 million, up 39.5 percent against the same period of last year. Most of visitors to Quang Nam Province, home to the World Heritage Sites of Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary, are from South Korea and China.

Nearly 70 percent of total visitors are Chinese and Korean to Cam Thanh water coconut village, 7 kilometers far away from Hoi An ancient town. Deputy Chairman of Cam Thanh commune People’s Committee Nguyen Hung Linh, said out of 1,500 visitors to the village a day, Chinese and South Korean are 1,000.

Statistically, the central city of Da Nang received nearly 1 million South Korean and over 500,000 Chinese visitors in first seven months, 107 percent and 36 percent higher than the same period last year respectively.

Currently, the frequency of direct flights from China and direct flights from South Korean are 79 and 127 a week in the Da Nang Airport. Additionally, many Chinese travelers come to Vietnam by ships.

Chairman of Quang Nam Tourism Association Vo Van Van said before, from August to October is off-season of the province’s tourism sector, but now the province is flooded with Chinese and Korean holiday-makers helping local tourism firms’ maintain its operation.

Having Hoi An ancient town, My Son sanctuary, the Cham Island Biosphere Reserve and beautiful beaches, Quang Nam authority plans to develop culture tourism, ecotourism, handicraft village, sea sport tourism in its strategies with orientation toward to European market.

In addition to launching promotion campaign in traditional markets, the sector should have niche tourism products such as traditional culture, community tourism, ecotourism, handicraft villages, and rural villages to attract European visitors, said Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Ngoc Tuong.

Moreover, Mr. Tuong added, the sector should petition the government and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to continue exempt visa for visitors from other European countries because Vietnam currently grants citizens of 15 nations visa-exempt entry for 30 days.