Potential challenges of MICE tourism

Currently, Can Tho has 600 accommodation establishments with more than 11,000 rooms. Hotels from 1 to 5 stars occupy a third. The hotel system meeting service standards is very well appreciated. Precisely, Mekong Rustic Can Tho has received TripAdvisor's Certificate of Excellence for the two successive years (2018 and 2019), the homestay system of My Khanh Resort has won the ASEAN Homestay Award at the ASEAN Community Tourism Award of the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2019. Muong Thanh, TTC Premium, Azerai Can Tho, My Thuan homestay, Victoria Can Tho hotels have won several national and international tourist awards. The hotel system in Can Tho is also large. The Muong Thanh hotel has a congress hall serving 2,000 participants. Mr. Tran Yen Vinh, Director of the Muong Thanh Can Tho hotel, informs us: “MICE tourism in Can Tho city has been developing strongly in recent years. For only the first 6 months of 2022, the hotel receives 60 MICE tourism groups with 8,000 visitors”.

The transport infrastructure of Can Tho city is favorable. Particularly, the city has an international airport. The 4 airlines operate 20 - 21 lines per day to major tourist destinations such as Hanoi, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Hai Phong, Khanh Hoa, Thanh Hoa… The city also has a system of varied leisure services such as CB Diamond Palace - Wedding Convention Center; supermarkets such as Co.opmart, Mega Market, Go!; Lottemart, Vincom Plaza Hung Vuong and Vincom Plaza Xuan Khanh… With these establishments, in recent times, Can Tho has organized congresses at national and international level such as The 5th France - Vietnam Local Cooperation Conference, Vietnam - Japan Cultural and Trade Exchange, Vietnam International Tourism Market - VITM Can Tho 2019, Southern Folk Cake Festival, The 6th Southern Tourism Corridor Cooperation Congress, the 3rd Conference on Sustainable Development of the Mekong Delta in adaptation to climate change, etc.

Tourism infrastructure and human resources are the challenges for the development of MICE tourism in Can Tho city. Currently, Can Tho city does not have convention centers for the organization of large-scale events (thousands of participants). Services such as meeting rooms, hotels, exhibition centers, travel arrangements are neither consistent nor professional. The human resources at the service of tourism do not respond to international integration, the professional skills and the level of foreign languages ​​of the staff remain limited. Other factors that significantly impact the development of MICE tourism: tourism products and destinations are still monotonous; there are no large-scale leisure complexes yet; transport infrastructure for tourism is weak. For lack of leisure activities, visitors who are content to contemplate beautiful landscapes, to taste dishes, rarely return there. In reality, the occupancy rate remains at 1.8%, tourist spending is also very low.

In search of solutions

Mr. Nguyen Khanh Tung, Director of the Institute of Socio-Economics of Can Tho, director of the project “Potentialities and assessments of the development of MICE tourism in Can Tho”, says: “MICE tourism is more profitable for us because it aims at big-spending visitors. The quality of products, services and human resources is therefore required. So, the promotion of the MICE service creates the development lever for other types of tourism”. Being of the same opinion, Mr. Tran Yen Vinh, Director of the Muong Thanh Can Tho hotel, says: “MICE tourism groups are generally wealthy, spend a lot, use luxury services and stay for several days. The number of MICE tourism visitors is large, the expenses are abundant, especially with international congresses, the profits are 5-8 times higher than with other tourists. MICE tourism influences other economic sectors by bringing positive efficiency thanks to its numerous and frequent customers. However, to promote this type of tourism, it will be necessary to have good infrastructures, a relevant market strategy and quality human resources”.

Mr. Truong Van Vinh, Director of Ido Travel, defines: “MICE tourism in Can Tho has potential but not very well defined. If Can Tho wants to focus on MICE tourism, it will have to define the points of difference to attract visitors. In my opinion, it will be necessary to be concerned with 5 factors: infrastructures, various and different places of organization, safe destinations, quality human resources, diversified support services”. Mr. Nguyen Hong Hieu, Director of Hong Hieu Tourism Sole Partner LLC, also said, “Establishments should cooperate to create product models with the best stable prices. It will also be necessary to define the target markets, the suitable potential markets, to have effective approaches for MICE tourism”.

Despite numerous congresses and seminars, MICE tourism in Can Tho is not developing well. To better promote this type of tourism, the scale, the quality, the professionalism remains an enigma to be solved.