Tourism marketing must remain creative
Last week, Viet Nam News asked its readers about whether Viet Nam could take advantage of celebrity visits, such as that of Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to Con Dao earlier this month, to promote tourism. Here are some responses. Sarah Garner, American, Ha Noi
Next week: On November 19, a Taiwanese passenger onboard a Vietnam Airlines plane attempted to open the emergency exit door. He now faces a fine of VND10-20 million (US$476-952) as his act was identified as a violation of the civil aviation safety and security regulations. The case of the Taiwanese passenger is not rare. Just a few weeks ago, a Vietnamese student tried doing the same thing. Both Taiwanese and Vietnamese passengers defended their actions. The first stated that he mistook the emergency exit with the toilet door, while the second said he just wanted to see the landscape outside. The student's action was reported to have caused the flight to be delayed and cost the airline company $10,000. Airline companies said that all emergency exits had warning signs placed on them and could not be easily opened without force. At a recent conference held to review the implementation of the Civil Aviation Law, a proposal to raise the fine for opening the emergency exit was put forward in consideration of the serious consequences of such action. In your opinion, could the act of opening the emergency exit be justified? Is the $476-952 fine imposed on those making such mistakes too severe? Or should it be raised in accordance with proposals? Do you think airline companies are also to blame for ineffective dissemination of airline rules? Or do some people pay too little attention to them? In your experience, have you witnessed other passengers violate airline regulations because they were unaware of the rules, or have you unintentionally violated them yourself? What should the airline industry do to raise passenger awareness on airline safety regulations? We welcome your opinions. Emails should be sent to: opinion.vietnamnews@gmail.com – or by fax to (84-4) 3 933 2311. Letters can be sent to The Editor, Viet Nam News, 11 Tran Hung Dao Street, Ha Noi. Replies to this week's question must be received by Friday morning, December 2. |
I do not advocate taking advantage of celebrities' holidays for the sake of some pictures to sell. But I am not opposed to discrete photography which could be used to promote the importance of preserving Viet Nam's natural wonders for others to responsibly enjoy, especially if that is a goal shared (and stated) by the celebrities.
When I am selecting a holiday destination, I usually do not take into account whether it is popular with celebrities, but rather the beauty of the location, the quality of the services and activities available for families, and the convenience of travel. That being said, I do get a kick out of visiting a cafe that has been visited by a celebrity, such as the one in Ha Noi Catherine Deneuve frequented when filming Indochine.
My decision to visit a destination is most often influenced by my friends. As a long time resident of Ha Noi, I talk with friends about the best places to visit and where to stay as well. I also enjoy watching travel channels which highlight a particular destination and often give me the desire to visit.
However, the average American does not have a passport, and so to think of travelling someplace like Viet Nam, the idea must be sparked by something else. Seeing an exotic island in a movie or pictures of celebrities on the beach might catch their interest. I have noticed that midrange travel agencies in the USA don't focus on exotic locations in Africa or Asia, so improving package deals and their advertising might also prove useful to enticing North American tourists to Asia.
Tore Langhelle, Norwegian, UNDP programme officer, Ha Noi
I am happy to see Angelina, Brad and others chose to visit Viet Nam. That said, I hope Viet Nam promotes tourism in Con Dao in such a way that existing efforts to protect the islands' rich biodiversity are not compromised. The archipelago's latest master plan dictates that Con Dao, the only inhabited island, should accommodate no more than 500,000 tourists a year by 2020. Although Con Dao currently receives between 30,000 and 50,000 tourists a year, we know those numbers can easily go to the roof when tourists open their eyes to these pristine islands.
I just learnt that Con Dao is home to 44 endangered species. In particular, the archipelago has the biggest population of sea turtles in Viet Nam, including endangered green and hawksbill species. I understand that like other travel destinations in Viet Nam, the natural ecological systems in Con Dao are very sensitive to human interference. Every distortion and interference beyond its capacity will result in a major disruption and destroy the natural environment.
I hope we won't see Con Dao's rich and irreplaceable natural environment be lost to unsustainable tourism.
Le Thi Hien Thu, Vietnamese, France
It has been reported that the small town in Washington state in the US, where many parts of the first Twilight film were shot, saw a huge increase in visitors who came to immerse themselves in the film's characters and even eat at the restaurant where the couple in Twilight went for their first date.
In Asia, the Korean drama phenomenon has also helped lure countless visitors to destinations such as Jeju Island or Seoul. The Korean tourism agencies offer tours that recreate scenes in the dramas.
In France, most visitors know about Cannes because they know about the Cannes Film Festival.
We haven't seen anything similar in Viet Nam. Most of our destinations are promoted based on the historical events associated with them. However, many of us want to visit destinations previously visited by public figures or associated with famous people.
I think the heart of tourism promotion using celebrities' visits lies in creativity and marketing skills. Restaurant Cuc Gach or Con Dao can definitely take advantage of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's visit. People are already talking about going to eat at this restaurant and sit in the place where the couple sat. But the promotion needs some creativity rather than saying this place was previously visited by Brangelina.
Learn from what Koreans have done: have a three-day tour designated solely for fans who want to immerse in the Winter Sonata drama.
Nevertheless, with the recent governmental approval to develop Con Dao into a tourism hub by 2015, we hope that it transforms the island into an internationally-recognised destination.
Kyle Robertson, British, UK
I have always wanted to see new countries as far back as I can remember, so why did I choose Viet Nam as a first destination last year? I first saw footage of Viet Nam on the BBC series Top Gear (other than war films). I was instantly drawn to the marvellous spines of rock so dramatically sticking out of the sea in Ha Long Bay.
It seemed like a mysterious and enchanting place to visit and explore. The more I read about Viet Nam, the more I was drawn to the different cultures, the northern and Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and the wonderful tropical islands like Phu Quoc. I gradually became fascinated and the decision was made that I would visit.
Another factor is that Viet Nam is a different and more adventurous place than Bangkok to start exploring Southeast Asia. Upon arrival I was embraced by the friendly, warm and inquisitive nature of the Vietnamese people, which is now my primary inspiration to return. I want to once again ride a Soviet-era bike along Viet Nam's tough back roads where Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May did in one of the most spectacular and incredible road trips ever attempted in Top Gear.
Jim Sullivan, managing director, Mandarin Media, HCM City
I'm not sure that businesses or the tourism authorities can actively use celebrity visits to promote their destinations. While the media is free to report on the movements of famous people through distant locations, that doesn't mean tourism authorities can use those images as an endorsement. There are privacy issues at stake, and even if it's legal, you're not likely to inspire a repeat visit by that celebrity if you use them in a promotional campaign.
Celebrities quite frequently check into hotels like Caravelle, the Nam Hai and the Metropole, but we don't hear news about their visits. A hotel that declines to respect the privacy of its guests is not likely going to win the favour of other celebrities. Later, we do remember that famous people visited the hotel. Bob Hope was at the Caravelle, for example, and we talked about that. Charlie Chaplin and Graham Greene stayed at the Metropole and have suites named after them.
One way to fairly utilise a celebrity visit is through buzz and social media. The media reports on the movements of celebrities during their visit and that knowledge becomes part of the allure of a destination. For years now, people will reference the fact that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie visited Con Dao. Likewise, people know that Mick Jagger visited Hoi An at the Life Resorts. Colin Farrell was in Hue at La Residence. These facts become part of the lore of a place, not used actively in advertising but referenced time and again in editorials about a destination or other buzzing social media sites. — VNS