Vietnam is among the friendliest countries in the world. (Photo: hadynyah/Getty Images)
With the country coming in ninth place, it is obvious that expats feel welcome when spending time in Vietnam, according to InterNations’ survey.
The friendliness shown towards foreign residents, rated positively by 83%, generally has a positive impact on expats’ well-being. A Belgian expat, for instance, considers the country to be “less stressful than many other places, as people smile naturally”, the website reported.
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| Photo for illustration (Source: vnexpress.net) |
InterNations’ survey interviewed a total of 12,000 expats living in 174 countries around the world. Among the 10 most welcoming countries are five Asian countries, including two in the Southeast Asian region.
The remaining five places go to North Central America, South America, and Europe.
Portugal claims top position for being the country with the friendliest attitude towards foreign residents, relegating Taiwan (China) and Mexico to second and third places.
Elsewhere, Cambodia was the other Southeast Asian country to feature, coming in at fourth in the friendliest countries ranking. Almost every expat, 96% in total, rates its general friendliness positively, significantly more than the global average of 70%.
On top of this, expats seem to have little trouble settling in. For example, in the article an Australian expat expresses their contentment with “building relationships with the locals”. More than eight in 10 respondents regard the local population as welcoming, 85% in total, and 83% agree that it’s easy to settle down in Cambodia, the website noted.
Additionally, expats can expect a warm welcome in Bahrain, Costa Rica, Oman, Colombia, and Canada. Indeed, between 81% (Canada) and 94% (Portugal) rate the local population’s attitude towards foreign residents positively, which is far above the global average of 67%.
Ninh Binh works to revive tourism industry
According to VNA, Ninh Binh province welcomed over 4.5 million visitors in the first six months of this year, 2.5 times higher than the same period in 2022.
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| Golden ripe rice fields in Tam Coc - Bich Dong tourist site in Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province. (Photo: VNA) |
Specifically, the province welcomed a large number of visitors during summer which is considered a low season. This reflects the right direction in tourism promotion and contributes to the success of the tourism industry in the first six months of this year.
The Mua Cave tourism site, located in Ninh Xuan commune in Hoa Lu district, is a case in point. It receives between 600-700 visitors a day and over 1,000 people at weekend, according to Do Thi Thu Ly, the site’s deputy director.
Doan Minh Thanh, deputy director of the four-star Hoang Son Hotel in the centre of Ninh Binh city said that the hotel has 214 rooms with an occupancy rate of 43% in the first half of 2023, adding that it also has a large event venue serving parties, conferences and seminars for thousands of people along with a travel agent specialising in organising domestic tours.
He said that the COVID-19 pandemic has left many consequences such as a lack of labour resources and a decrease in the number of international visitors, causing difficulties for businesses. However, thanks to the attention of the provincial People's Committee and relevant agencies, the number of visitors to Ninh Binh has been on the rise, creating favourable conditions for the hotel's business.
Statistics from the province’s Department of Tourism (DoT) showed that Ninh Binh attracted about 400,000 tourists in May and June. The impressive result is attributed to careful preparation in terms of facilities, upgrading landscape at tourist areas, training of human resources and ensuring security and order at tourist spots.
The province welcomed over 4.5 million visitors in the first six months of this year, 2.5 times higher than the same period in 2022. Revenue from the tourism sector reached over 3.8 trillion VND (159 million USD), up 2.9 times year-on-year.
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| UNESCO-recognised Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh province. (Photo: VNA) |
Trang An eco-tourism area, Bai Dinh pagoda, Tam Coc-Bich Dong, Mua Cave and Hoa Lu ancient town are popular destinations for domestic and foreign tourists, contributing to the creation of Ninh Binh tourism brand.
The organisation of Ninh Binh tourism week themed “The Golden Colour of Tam Coc-Trang An” over the past few years has helped popularise tourism resources of the province.
During the 2023 Ninh Binh tourism week that took place from May 27 to June 4, the province welcomed about 172,570 visitors, double the figure of last year’s event.
According to Bui Van Manh, the DoT’s director, Ninh Binh targets to greet more than 5.35 million visitors and earned 5.1 trillion VND from tourism.
To this end, the tourism industry will focus on performing the main tasks such as continuing to organise inspection teams to ensure social order and hygiene at tourism sites in the province, he said. It will develop plans on holding tourist promotional programme with the application of digital technology.
Training courses will be organised to foster professional skills for employees at tourism firms and localities in the province, Manh said, adding that dissemination campaigns will also be launched to raise awareness about environmental protection, conservation and promotion of heritage values associated with sustainable tourism development for officials, management boards, employees and communities in the UNESCO-recognised Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex and tourism businesses.
Ninh Binh tourism industry will exert efforts to diversify tourism products, focus on the night economy and develop tourism in a green and sustainable manner. It will also strengthen state management and create a favourable environment for tourism development, develop marketing strategies and create attractive promotional programmes, the official added.
National Authority of Tourism developing culinary map
Vietnam’s tourism development strategy to 2030 has identified culinary tourism as a typical product for positioning the country’s tourism brand, reported VNA.
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| Photo for illustration |
After the prestigious culinary rating system Michelin Guide came to Vietnam in June, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism launched a project to develop a culinary tourism map of Vietnam.
Vietnamese cuisine has proven its appeal and global allure, finding favour with a large number of international visitors.
In 2019 and 2020, Vietnam was voted at the World Travel Awards as “Asia’s Leading Culinary Destination”.
In June, the world-famous culinary guide Michelin Guide came to the country, and many Vietnamese dishes have been voted as best in the world on various travel websites and in international media.
The country’s tourism industry has identified food as a cultural feature that attracts visitors, especially international visitors.
To position Vietnam’s culinary tourism brand, the Tourism Information Centre at the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and Nestlé Vietnam have launched a project embellishing myriad raw materials and cooking millions of Vietnamese dishes.
In the immediate future, the project focuses on applying information technology so that localities can put typical culinary products on the same national register, thereby building a digital map of Vietnamese cuisine.
Through this programme the two parties are striving to promote quintessential Vietnamese culinary values, arouse a passion for cooking, and broaden the sense of pride in Vietnamese cuisine.