Vietnam puts luxury cruises on experiential tourism product map

Emperor Cruises received the most prestigious tourism award in Vietnam for its luxurious cruises

For the first time, Emperor Cruises was named Vietnam’s leading luxury cruise operator by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). The gala ceremony took place on July 15, 2019 in Viet Xo Cultural Palace, Hanoi in the presence of Vice Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien, and high-ranking officials from VNAT, among many others.

“Emperor Cruises was inspired by the lavish lifestyle of the last Emperor Bao Dai and is a new brand in the cruise industry. In only four years of pioneering cruises in Nha Trang and Bai Tu Long Bay, we are proud to receive this most prestigious tourism award from VNAT. The award is a great encouragement to all members of the Emperor Cruises Company who worked hard to raise the bar and deliver authentic and unique experiences. This will encourage us to invest more in luxury cruising across Vietnam,” said Pham Ha, co-founder of Emperor Cruises.

The Vietnam Tourism Awards take place annually, the first being held in 1999, and the awards aim to honour leading tourism enterprises which make significant contributions to tourism development, improving tourism service quality, diversifying tourism products, strengthening international integration, and promoting tourism in Vietnam. This year, VNAT announced 100 nominations in the travel and tourism industry and only five cruises lines were chosen for this prestigious annual award.

Serving 5,000 satisfied guests per year in both Nha Trang Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, Emperor Cruises has a fleet of two cruise ships and offers daily departures for day and sunset cruises in Nha Trang Bay and overnight options in Bai Tu Long Bay. Ha revealed that, as more travellers opt for cruises in Cat Ba Archipelago and Nha Trang Bay, the company will add overnight cruises in Nha Trang Bay for the first time to celebrate Vietnam Tourism Year 2019 as well as build new cruise ships in Bai Tu Long Bay by the end of 2020, to increase the fleet size to five cruise ships to carry up to 10,000 luxury travellers each year.

Emperor Cruises, steeped in the past and rooted in the history, culture, arts, heritage, and cuisine of the country, pioneered the concept of "all-inclusive luxury cruise experience" by aiming for sustainable tourism development with minimal impact on natural resources, respect for local culture, and a focus on providing enhanced experiences for travelers. The company has already received several prestigious awards over the years, such as The Guide Awards. Emperor Cruises is a member of Lux Group, an award-winning Asian travel and hospitality group which has for more than 20 years been delivering unique experiences through Luxury Travel and Heritage Cruises.

According to statistics from the VNAT, Vietnam welcomed nearly 8.5 million foreign tourists in the first half of the year, up 7.5 per cent on-year. The sector generated VND338.2 trillion ($14.7 billion) in revenue, up 8.4 per cent over the same period last year. This year, the sector expects to serve 17.5-18 million international visitors and 85 million domestic tourists, earning some VND700 trillion ($30.43 billion).