Hanoi (VNA)♛ – Although Vietnam’s tourism has become more attractive and diverse after the COVID-19 pandemic, the country should do better in managing destinations, experts said.

After the pandemic, Vietnam's tourism industry has developed, according to international experts, faster than Thailand and Japan. Vietnam is continuously honoured in prestigious international awards such as World Travel Awards and World Culinary Awards. The government creates conditions for the tourism industry to develop by loosening visa policies and issuing e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories around the world. According to Wong Soon-hwa, Honorary Chairman of the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore, Vietnam is best positioned in Southeast Asia for tourism industry development. Wong, who is former chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, said that Vietnam has a large land area of more than 331,000 sq.km and a large population of nearly 100 million people, creating abundant human resources for the tourism service industry. Thanks to its stable political situation, Vietnam is always a top priority for foreign investors, he continued. However, Vietnam is still not the top tourist attraction in the region and is lagging behind countries like Thailand and Malaysia. In the first 10 months of the year, Vietnam welcomed 10 million international visitors while Thailand welcomed more than 21.5 million visitors. Therefore, in order for tourism to develop further, it is necessary for Vietnam’s tourism industry to better manage destinations as well as learn experiences of countries in the region. Albert Zhang, co-founder of Traveloka, an online travel service platform, defines "destination" not just as a list of names on a map but also as experiences that tourists and local people create together. For a country blessed by nature like Vietnam, destination management is extremely important, he emphasised. According to Wong, sustainability and balancing the quality and quantity of tourists is the key to managing a destination. In addition to the advantages of natural beauty, diverse products and infrastructure investment, it requires cooperation between relevant parties, including the State, businesses and local community, he said adding that the government must always play a leading role. The government needs to provide infrastructure, human resources and a quick approval process so investors can get started, Wong noted. In addition, the government should publicise investment plans as well as completion time so that investors know what the government is doing. Singapore's Sentosa island is much smaller than Phu Quoc but welcomes more than 20 million visitors each year. Domestic tourists make up a significant number of that figure, he said. Vietnam can also refer to Sentosa's development model to apply to domestic destinations, according to Wong. Another important factor that helps Vietnam manage destinations better and attract international investors is law enforcement. According to Wong, every country has its own laws or regulations. What makes one destination stand out from another is how that country enforces its laws, he said. Dinh Ngoc Duc, Head of the International Relations Department of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said that if a destination wants to be successful, the government needs to "put tourist experience first". The experience here is to provide tourists with professional services, competitive prices when they pay for something they get in return. They also need a clean and beautiful environment, friendly and civilised people, and a safe destination and sustainable development. In addition, tour products must be unique and have convenient procedures such as simple immigration and convenient travel to places of interest, he added./.