Singapore to help Vietnam develop cruise tourism

A group of entrepreneurs from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will arrive in Vietnam for a survey trip this week to help develop the local cruise tourism, said Nguyen Anh Tuan, deputy head of the Travel Department under the National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

This is the second survey trip by Singaporean tourism experts to the country. They are scheduled to visit ports in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Con Dao.

The participants will suggest suitable locations to build ports for cruise ships along with measures to develop products, spur investment and other activities to boost the segment in the future, Tuan said.

“We hope that the second group with participation from the cruise line and investment companies will not only help us find the way to develop cruise tourism but also invest in the industry,” Tuan added.

The survey results will be reported in the Vietnam-Singapore Tourism Cooperation Joint Committee’s meeting in September.

Last year, a deal between Vietnam’s Danang Port One-Member Limited Company and Singapore Cruise Center Pte Ltd was signed after the first trip.

International sea travelers to Vietnam dropped by 32.8% from a year earlier to 12,000 in the first quarter of 2010.

Currently, the number of international sea travelers makes up between 5% and 6% of the total figure of international tourists to the country.

Tags: cruise tourism, Vietnam Tourism