Hanoi is poised to fully capitalize on its golf tourism potential to make the service a focal point for drawing international travelers to the Vietnamese capital, especially from key markets like South Korea, Japan, the US, and Europe, Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of Hanoi’s Department of Tourism, has revealed.
The capital has vast, world-class, internationally-acclaimed golf courses with diverse and captivating natural landscapes, Minh stated at the “Potential and Orientation for Development of Golf Tourism in Hanoi” held in the capital city on April 14.
| Hanoi has a big potential to develop golf tourism. Photo courtesy of Golf course Long Bien |
He stated that the city has all the necessary elements for the development of golf tourism, with many standard golf courses available such as Long Bien, Van Tri Golf Club, Kings Island Golf, Minh Tri, and Legend Hill… Additionally, there are around 10 training golf courses, as well as ancillary systems and accommodation facilities that are comprehensive and professional. This includes a number of 4-5 star resort hotels, including big names like JW Marriott, Sheraton, and Metropole.
Despite the potential and advantages, golf tourism in the city still faces difficulties in competing with other countries in the region. One of the main challenges is the high cost, which has led to a limited number of domestic tourists. Additionally, golf tourism has yet to be connected with other types of tourism or to one another, and there has not been any professional and methodical promotion solutions. Thus, further efforts are needed to strengthen the competitiveness of the city’s golf tourism.
For golf tourism to thrive and become a standout, highly competitive tourism product of Vietnam and Hanoi in particular, Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Golf Tourism Association, Pham Thanh Tri, has called for reducing the special consumption tax (currently at 20%) to enable the country’s golf tourism products to compete effectively with those of other Southeast Asian countries. In addition, it is vital to strengthen information exchange among golf clubs.
Pham Thanh Tri suggested that it is necessary to expand the golf tourism market for tourists in Europe, the United States, Australia, and Southeast Asia by organizing golf exchange activities and tournaments between golf teams from Vietnam and other countries. By doing so, it will provide an opportunity for people from all these countries to experience the unique culture and beauty of golf in Vietnam. Moreover, it will create a platform to build relationships between golfers and teams from different countries, helping to further promote golf tourism in Vietnam.
Le Tien Dung, a representative of the Green Tourism Company in Long Bien District, highlighted the lack of connection between golf courses and travel agencies and the lack of information available, which has limited the promotion and introduction of high-end tourists.
“There is a critical shortage of high-quality personnel to serve high-end guests, while the training and development of human resources with specialized skills and techniques is inadequate,” Dung said.
Golf is a sport that is suitable for all family members, regardless of age. Visiting a golf course should be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone, and I believe that golf course owners should work with travel agencies to create golf tourism packages that will make it even more enjoyable.
He said the government needs to create conditions to support tour operators connecting with airlines, golf courses, destinations, and hotels.” Dung added.
According to the Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, Vietnam welcomed 1.8 million international tourists in the first two months of 2023, with approximately 800,000 of them being golf tourists. The country was honored twice by the World Golf Award, in 2019, 2021, and 2022, as the best golf destination in both the world and Asia. Furthermore, the Vietnam Golf Tourism Association was recognized by the World Golf Award in 2022 as the best golf tourism association.
Lan reiterated that golf tourism brings lucrative rewards and that Vietnam’s tourism industry is eager to foster its growth. By strategically investing in golf courses and related facilities, the country can capitalize on the ever-increasing demand for golf holidays and further bolster its tourism sector.
| Tourists play golf at Dong Mo golf course (Hanoi) during the Hanoi Golf Festival 2022. Photo: Hoai Nam/The Hanoi Times |
