Tourists from New Zealand to Vietnam increase by 50% over the last year

Friday, 30/06/2017 17:16
(CPV) - "For instance in New Zealand, the number of our tourists coming here has increased by 50% over the last year, and the number of tourists that are coming from Vietnam to New Zealand are also increased by 50% last year. So there are about 6,500 people from Vietnam to New Zealand, and about 25,500 people from New Zealand to Vietnam," said Mr. Roger Philip Wigglesworth, the delegate from New Z

On the occassion of the High Level Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Tourism in Ha Long city on June 2017, reporter of the Communist Party of Vietnam Online Newspaper interviewed Mr. Roger Philip Wigglesworth, the delegate from New Zealand, on his opinion about the cooperation between Vietnam and APEC member economies in tourism.

Mr. Roger Philip Wigglesworth, the delegate from New Zealand. (Photo: Khac Kien)
Reporter: What do you consider is, what do you think Vietnamese should do to develop sustainable tourism?
Mr. Roger Philip Wigglesworth: It sounds to me, from the things we've heard at this conference already, that Vietnam is very well organized and going entirely in the right direction. I think the important thing is to make sure that you're taking your local people along with you as you develop your tourism offering, and it certainly seems to me from what I've heard and seen since I"ve been here, that Vietnam is doing this extremely well.

Reporter: What is your assessment of the cooperation between Vietnam and APEC member economies in tourism, in how to develop and improve it?

Mr. Roger Philip Wigglesworth: Right, I think that hosting this dialogue has been an important step in Vietnam's future and present cooperation with the other APEC economies. I know that, for instance in New Zealand, the number of our tourists coming here has increased by 50% over the last year, and the number of tourists that are coming from Vietnam to New Zealand are also increased by 50% last year. So there are about six and a half thousand people from Vietnam to New Zealand, and about twenty five and a half thousand people from New Zealand to Vietnam. So we are certainly enjoying cooperation and working together with you and your tourism industry – its such a wonderful place to visit.

Reporter: What do you think about the challenges in developing sustainable tourism?

Mr. Roger Philip Wigglesworth: Look, the main challenge is that there are lots of competing interests, so the tourists want to come in large numbers and go to the most popular sites, and that's fine, but sometimes the sites aren't well prepared to receive and greet them, so tourists can sort of overwhelm – there is too many of them, there is not enough facilities for the time that they come, so then the local community, and the tourists, don't enjoy the experience. So that is the main challenge. But I think that if we are convinced that being sustainable is the way of the future, and we follow that guide, then we can't go wrong.

Reporter: What would be your advise to Vietnam?

Mr. Roger Philip Wigglesworth: Sure, my advice is that if you're going to increase tourism numbers, or you're going to make changes like you are here in terms of development to attract more tourists, then you've got to keep up an honest and transparent dialogue with the local community, because they are going to be as effected as anybody and they want to see the benefits that are being derived from increased tourism flowing to them, they're going to want to make sure that their daily lives aren't badly impacted by additional tourism. And so social license is very important, because its the permission of the local people for visitors to come and to use, to share their space.

Reporter: What is the main message of the speech that you will give today?

Mr. Roger Philip Wigglesworth: Sure, my main message is that to maintain social licence, we must continuously communicate well, we must develop trust, and we must ensure that the benefits of tourism growth are spread widely amongst the community.

Reporter: Thank you so much!

Khac Kien

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