Hanoi hopes to lure 2.25 million visitors this year, but tourism officials agree that major changes are needed if the city wants to keep foreign tourist coming.
Most tourists coming to Hanoi have a good impression of the city’s tourism. Cultural values, historical relics, hospitality, and the city's safe and peaceful status are among the main reasons tourists choose Hanoi as a destination for their trips.
In 2012 and the first quarter of 2013, Hanoi welcomed nearly 3 million foreign tourists, according to figures of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In a survey of Hanoi’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, more than 80 percent of 1,420 foreign tourists surveyed wanted to return to Hanoi, and 93.64 percent said that Hanoi is one of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam for tourists.
However, most of the tourists complained about three existing problems, including environmental sanitation, infrastructure and traffic, and an unfriendly attitude among taxi drivers and sellers.
Hanoi’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that to build a good image for Hanoi tourism, the city needs to have planning for parking, to take measures for current traffic and environment problems, to move people out of the areas reserved for tourists in order to reduce the large number of motorcycles in traffic, and create areas for pedestrians in these places.
All agencies and departments in Hanoi also need to improve and strengthen the system of signs and public toilets at the airport, and other tourism and shopping spots.
In particular, it is necessary to manage taxi drivers and street vendors, because their dishonesty makes tourists uncomfortable, and Hanoi less attractive in their eyes.
In the near future, Hanoi’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will further manage tour operators and hotels to reduce complaints about the service quality and prices.
Source: VNA
Translated by Pham Uyen