Vietnam, ranked among the top 10 countries expected to see the strongest tourism growth in the next decade, is keen to get more and more Indian visitors, who now number just a trickle.
'We now want to pitch ourselves hard in India especially as it represents one-sixth of the population. It is obviously a huge tourist market for us,' says Do Minh Tuan, deputy director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
'We have a master plan on tourism in place. So, obviously we need to run more promotion campaigns to boost our image in the international market,' said Tuan.
One major reason for the Indian modest arrivals, officials say, has been the absence of direct flights between the two countries. Last year, just over 5,500 Indians visited Vietnam, which is famous for its ancient architecture, stunning landscapes, pristine beaches and historic relics.
Vietnam Airlines and Indian Airlines have announced sharply reduced round-trip tickets on the New Delhi-Bangkok-Hanoi route to lure more Indian tourists.
'I would imagine that if direct flights were started, there is bound to be increased volumes of tourists. Also, more tourism campaigns are in order as many Indians still believe that Vietnam is a war-ravaged country, which is not the case,' exclaims India's consul general Jitendra Nath Misra.
Last year, Vietnam had nearly 3.6 million foreign tourist arrivals. It expects to get four million tourists this year. Topping the list were tourists from China followed by South Korea, the US, Japan and Taiwan.
As Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung sets off next week on his maiden visit to India, promoting tourism will be on top of his agenda, especially with India's rising profile.
'We have great potential to develop tourism. This is one area which both countries need to bolster,' said Dzung.
Vietnam hopes to get at least 5.5-6 million foreign visitors and 25-26 million domestic ones by 2010, to take its total tourism revenues to $4-4.5 billion.
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