Developing cruise tourism in Vietnam: Advantages and disadvantages

THS. NGUYEN THI SAM (Lecturer of Faculty of Business Administration - Nguyen Trai University)

1. Make a problem

According to the forecast of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO),  ship tourism  by 2020 in the world will tend to shift and develop strongly in Asia. Many major shipping lines in the world that often take passengers along the Europe - America - Mediterranean route have begun exploiting tourist routes to the Asia - Pacific region. This area has become not only an attractive destination but also a large exploitation market for world cruise companies.

Not out of that trend, with favorable conditions, Vietnam has created the attraction of sea tourism for domestic and international tourists. Dubbed the country "golden forest, silver sea", the Creator favors our country with a long coastline with thousands of islands, large and small, beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, rich diverse ecosystems and beautiful landscapes. Famous bays on the world tourist map such as Ha Long Bay, Nha Trang Bay, Vinh Hy Bay, Lang Co Bay, ...

Besides, Vietnam has a convenient location between the two largest cruise tourism centers in the region, Hong Kong and Singapore - where the economy thrives, including tourism. Therefore, the coastal strip of over 3,200 km long is considered as a "big door" for Vietnam to approach countries in the region and the world through the East Sea. From these advantages, Vietnam's cruise tourism industry is showing positive signals through the increasing number of international tourists arriving by sea. Vietnam is considered an attractive market for major shipping lines in the world such as Royal Caribbean International (USA), Star Cruises, Costa Crociere SpA, welcoming many high-class international ships with the number of passengers up to thousands of people. .

Accordingly, cruise tourism in our country is showing positive signs, but according to research experts, this development speed is not commensurate with the potential. In order to improve the attractiveness and attract this audience, it is necessary to continue to improve tourism policies, infrastructure, facilities and products and services.

2. Overview of types of cruise ships

2.1. Sea cruise ship concept

A cruise ship is a passenger vessel used for pleasure voyages where the voyage, the ship's amenities and sometimes the various destinations en route (i.e. ports of call), form one passenger experience. (Mayntz, 2018).

Unlike traditional transatlantic cruises on ships, modern cruises are above all characterized by the transformation of the ship from a mere means of transport to a destination in itself. The cruise ship serves as a floating hotel, providing an attractive, convenient, and hassle-free way to visit different neighborhoods without having to change accommodations. This type of leisure travel can be traced back to the early 1970s, when the first modern cruise lines began operating in the Caribbean with North American tourists.

In the 1990s, the cruise phenomenon reached the UK and then the rest of Europe, Asia and the Pacific. Passengers are usually provided with full-style accommodation and can enjoy a range of onboard amenities such as restaurants, bars, meeting rooms, discos, casinos, swimming pools, saunas, jacuzzis, rooms gym and other sports facilities, beauty services, cinemas, theatres, libraries, children's activities and duty free shops. The trend toward ever-larger ships with more vehicles means that cruise ships have practically evolved from floating hotels into floating resorts. Thus, a cruise operator considers its main competitors to be land-based resorts rather than other tourist routes.

2.2. Characteristics

2.2.1. Characteristics of cruise tourists

The characteristic of cruise tourists is the large number of tourists, coming from many different territories and countries and going on long tours. Usually, on a cruise ship, the number of passengers is usually from a few hundred to a thousand people, especially large shipping lines and high-class ships. For example, Costa Allegra is a 5-star American ship with a capacity of over 1,000 tourists; The SuperStar Libra ship carries 1,700 tourists… Also because of the large number of tourists, cruise lines need to gather enough guests and it is understandable that they come from many territories.

Because customers come from many different regions and countries, their tour program is not the same. However, most of the tourist's trip purposes are usually sightseeing, entertainment, exchange and enjoyment of local cultural identities.

A distinctive feature of cruise tourists is that they rarely have the need to use accommodation services. Usually tourists will return to their ships to rest. Because the cruise ship is equipped like a fully-equipped hotel and if the destination is not attractive, visitors will often return to the ship to rest.

2.2.2. Features of the cruise

The yachts are called floating hotels because they are provided with full services like a hotel on land such as sleeping rooms (on the ship called cabins). The cabins are also classified as hotel rooms: There are luxury cabins that can enjoy the view outside, there are large cabins that can be connected to each other, etc. other regular bin. In addition, conventional cabins on ships often have bunk beds because space on ships is more limited than space in hotels. Moreover, such arrangement is also a way to pull guests out of the deck, encouraging guests to shop and consume other additional services on board, helping to increase revenue for the airline.

In addition, because a cruise is often long, in addition to providing accommodation and dining services, customers are also provided with additional services such as entertainment, relaxation, etc. a cruise is quite high.

During the voyage, there are many stopover ports, this is where the ship stops on its journey. The port of call and the duration of the stop depends on the voyage, the attraction of the locality where the vessel stops, shopping opportunities, and a number of other factors.

2.3. Conditions for developing cruise tourism in Vietnam

2.3.1. Objective conditions

a) Natural conditions

Vietnam is a coastal country, inheriting many beautiful bays, islands and beaches with great potential for tourism development, with world wonders such as Ha Long Bay recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. natural world, has aesthetic value and outstanding global value in terms of geology - geomorphology. Nha Trang Bay is likened to the "Pearl of the Far East" and together with Lang Co Bay was voted by the Club of the most beautiful bays in the world. Phong Nha - Ke Bang cave complex with Son Doong cave is recorded with the largest scale in the world. Beautiful beaches like Da Nang beach were voted by the American magazine Forbes as one of the 6 most attractive beaches on the planet.

In addition, there are UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserves, a diverse system of national parks and coastal nature reserves.

System of 16 national parks including Bai Tu Long (Quang Ninh), Cat Ba (Hai Phong), Xuan Thuy (Nam Dinh), Cuc Phuong (Ninh Binh), Ben En (Thanh Hoa), Pu Mat (Nghe An) , Vu Quang (Ha Tinh), Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Quang Binh), Bach Ma (Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Nam),... In addition, there is a system of 26 nature reserves and 3 species conservation areas. landscape running across the country.

b) Cultural values

Coastal areas also inherit rich cultural and historical relics, which according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, cultural and historical relics have been ranked in coastal areas (as of 2011). ) is recorded with 24 scenic spots, 221 artistic architectures, 106 historical architectures, 14 archaeological sites and 550 historical sites. Besides the natural conditions, the specific culture of the region is also a factor attracting tourists.

2.3.2. Subjective conditions

Organizational conditions

The tourism development strategy to 2020, with a vision to 2030, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 2473 dated December 30, 2011 affirms: “Preference is given to the development of tourism associated with the sea and the sea. Island; emphasize unique cultural and ecological factors in tourism products”.

In order to promote cruise tourism, the Government, ministries and functional agencies have adopted many innovative policies in the past time, creating favorable conditions for attracting cruise ship passengers to Vietnam such as promoting economic development. ways of administrative procedures at seaports, reducing port fees for ships entering Vietnam on a route or multiple times, opening the doors of Phu Quoc and Con Dao islands for foreign visitors to visit, and exempting visas for tourists to the island. Phu Quoc within 15 days, reducing visa fees for cruise passengers (applicable as transit passengers 5USD/pax), etc. Moreover, the seaport system is increasingly being improved to meet the increasing demand and quantity. increase of tourists of this type.

Infrastructure at many seaports has been invested, upgraded and modernized such as Saigon, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Tien Sa ports, etc. Roads connecting the port area to the city center have also been developed. be invested, expanded, upgraded and created more favorable for seagoing passengers.

Especially now, ASEAN countries are building cruise tours through ASEAN countries. This is a great advantage for Vietnam tourism in attracting international visitors.

3. Thực trạng phát triển du lịch tàu biển Việt Nam

3.1. Sự hình thành và phát triển của loại hình du lịch tàu biển tại Việt Nam thời gian qua

Với hơn 3000km bờ biển và một hệ thống cảng biển lớn nhỏ, hàng trăm bãi biển, với cảnh quan thiên nhiên tươi đẹp, còn nguyên sơ và một nền văn hóa - lịch sử lâu đời, đa dạng, giàu bản sắc, người dân cởi mở và thân thiện, với hệ thống dịch vụ ngày càng đa dạng, Việt Nam có đủ điều kiện để phát triển các loại hình du lịch biển, đáp ứng nhu cầu của khách du lịch tàu biển và có thể trở thành một trung tâm du lịch tàu biển trong khu vực. 

Trong những năm đầu của thập niên 1990, lượng khách du lịch tàu biển vào Việt Nam chiếm một tỉ trọng rất nhỏ trong tổng số khách du lịch quốc tế đến nước ta. Tuy nhiên, sau khi Mỹ chính thức bãi bỏ lệnh cấm vận với Việt Nam, du lịch Việt Nam đã có những bước tăng trưởng mạnh mẽ, trong đó có sự tăng trưởng trở lại của du lịch tàu biển. Mặc dù, so với du lịch bằng đường không và đường bộ, du lịch bằng đường biển ở Việt Nam còn nhiều hạn chế, chưa phát triển tương xứng với tiềm năng.