VIETRAVEL is looking to raise its status as one of Vietnam’s leading inbound agencies to one of Asia’s top operators.
To achieve this, it will expand into four new markets this year with the opening of offices in France, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The new offices will join Vietravel’s existing ones in the US, Thailand and Cambodia, and bring it closer to achieving its target of 15 international offices by 2015.
Vietravel has remained strong despite economic troubles, registering business growth of over 30 per cent in 2010 and 2011. It raked in more than VND2 trillion (US$96 million) in revenue last year.
“We are working hard to reach 500,000-600,000 visitors and achieve beyond VND5 trillion revenue in 2015,” said Tran Doan The Duy, deputy general director of Vietravel.
Besides targeting traditional markets in Asia such as Japan, the company is seeking customers from places such as Europe and China, and also intends to explore potential growth markets in Australia and Africa, explained Vietravel inbound director Phan Ho Hai.
As an example, it was in ITB Berlin last week to introduce new products for its 2012/2013 programme: a heritage trail from north to central Vietnam and a green travel tour, which brings travellers to unspoilt islands and beaches.
The former includes Ninh Binh—described as a ‘Halong Bay on land’ and whose caves are in the process of achieving UNESCO World Heritage status, Hue, and Binh Dinh—the old imperial city of the kingdom of Champa. The latter is a choice between one of three islands: Nha Trang, Con Dao and Phu Quoc.
The company also hopes to showcase its MICE expertise at the upcoming IT&CM China in Shanghai, as it proposes a four- to five-day teambuilding itinerary to corporates, featuring destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat. Its other products run the gamut from homestays to luxury.
“We realise that it will not be easy to get to where we want to be, but we are determined to invest and develop wherever necessary,” added Tran Doan The Duy.
To achieve this, Vietravel is strengthening its PR and advertising strategy, by organising fam trips for the media for instance, as well as staff development through recruitment drives and extensive training.
Additional reporting by Duncan Forgan
