HCMC – A big sale program will begin in HCMC in November, two months later than similar programs in Hanoi and Danang, to avoid an overlap as HCMC has other sales programs preceding this event, an official said.
Vu The Binh, head of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said HCMC would relay the national grand sale program to November because the city has its own promotion program scheduled for this September.
“The three cities will arrange the (national) program in three different periods suiting their own situations,” he said.
The Impressive Vietnam Grand Sale 2010 is part of the national marketing campaign named “Vietnam – Your Destination” scheduled to last two months. In the program, the departments of culture-sports-tourism and industry-trade of the three cities will have to team up to carry out the program.
During two months, local and international tourists could enjoy discounts of 10% to 40% at shopping centers, supermarkets, and retail outlets among others in HCMC, Hanoi and Danang.
Hanoi City has been running the program since early this month on the occasion of the Vietnam handicraft products week with the participation of 50 companies. During the week, some travel companies have organized tours for tourists to visit and buy handicraft products in Hanoi’s trade villages.
Danang will kick off the program late this week.
Binh said the tourism sector has submitted a plan to exempt visa fees for international visitors who come to the country on packaged tours between September and November instead of during the program. Such an incentive is still under the Government’s consideration.
“We are waiting for the Government’s approval. The incentive will help lure in more visitors. Furthermore, these months are the high season for the inbound tourism segment,” Binh said.
VNAT has expected the country’s tourism industry to organize grand sale schemes annually to make shopping tours more familiar to visitors, but Binh said it would take time.
“It’s not easy to develop shopping tours. We need at least five years for harmonizing all activities to make Vietnam a destination for shopping tourists. In the years to come, Vietnam will have two grand sale seasons for visitors,” he said.
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