Quang Ninh welcomed 12.06 million tourist arrivals, including 825,000 international ones, during the first eight months of 2023, reported the provincial Tourism Department.
It is nearing this year’s tourist number target but still far behind the international arrival target of 2 million.
The Muslim tourist sources such as the Middle East, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India are believed to hold huge potential, and if the province manages to capitalise on these markets, it will be able to considerably raise the number of foreign visitors, heard a recent conference.
Halal tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing tourism subcategory in the world. However, Quang Ninh has attracted just over 450,000 Muslim tourists using accommodation services here over the last five years.
At a recent conference discussing measures for attracting Muslim tourists, experts have pointed out several reasons why Quang Ninh, boasting favourable transport infrastructure and famous destinations, has yet to become a magnet for this type of holidaymakers.
Nguyen Son Linh, Director of the Nha Linh Travel Service Co. Ltd, which has served Muslim tourists for many years, regretted that the province, home to the world natural heritage site of Ha Long Bay, hasn’t been able to attract Muslim visitors staying overnight.
He noted many of them wish to stay in Ha Long city longer to experience the heritage, but it is hard to find restaurants serving Halal food or accommodation facilities suitable for their religious practices and habits. Besides, Quang Ninh is still relatively new among Muslim travellers.
Experts and businesses added many local travel companies have just recently come to know that Muslim tourists have their own stringent standards.
Tran Van Tan Cuong, Director of the Vietnam National Halal Co. Ltd, recommended that to attract Muslim tourists, Quang Ninh should develop accommodation establishments suitable for their religious demand.
Talking about the conversion of a five-star hotel’s rooms and floors into Muslim-friendly ones, Le Thanh Tam, Managing Director of Delasea Hotel in Ha Long city, said changes need to be made from room and kitchen designs to staff training in order to quickly cater for Muslim visitors.
Most businesses expressed their interest in big opportunities from Halal tourism, but some also voiced their concern that whether the number of visitors to Quang Ninh is large enough for local restaurants, hotels, and tourist vessels to make such big changes.
Highlighting the province’s determination to capitalise on Halal tourism, Deputy Director of the Tourism Department Nguyen Huyen Anh said that in the coming time, Quang Ninh will implement all-round measures, including introducing the Muslim culture to business insiders, providing more certified Halal products, and inviting experts to train manpower for serving Muslim visitors.
The number of tourists from Muslim countries to Vietnam has increased remarkably in recent years, especially travellers from India (up 240% in September this year), according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Muslim tourist arrivals from Southeast Asian nations such as Singapore and Indonesia have also risen sharply.
VNAT Deputy General Director Ha Van Sieu said the Muslim markets offers promising opportunities for Vietnam's tourism industry and can be a "gold mine" that could provide a significant boost to the sector.
