With its natural and man-made wonders, fine culture,
special food and friendly people, Danang is fast becoming a well-known Southeast Asian tourist
destination, like Bali in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand. In order to expand Danang’s
international image, DTU, in collaboration with the Danang Tourism Promotion Center
and experts from PUM, held a Closing ceremony of Danang Tourism Branding Project conference on December 4th. Over two hundred
representatives from local tourism companies attended the meeting.
Opening the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Binh, Director of the Danang Tourism Promotion Center thanked
specialists from PUM for conducting of the Danang Tourism Branding
project.
Mr.
Nguyen Xuan Binh delivers a speech at the conference
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Binh said: "The conference is an opportunity
for Professor Guillaume Van Grinsven to present an exceptional project of PUM analyzing
Danang’s current tourism development, the shortcomings in building a
professional tourism environment, and the conditions and procedures for
building a brand name for local tourism. It is also a forum for individuals and
organizations to contribute constructive ideas and lay the foundation of a
long-term plan for approval by the Danang tourism community.”
Located in the heart of Danang, DTU
has made a significant contribution to providing a highly-trained workforce to local
businesses over the years, helping to promote the development of tourism in the
city.
The
conference attracts a large number of experts in tourism
Associate Professor Nguyen Ngoc Minh, DTU Vice-Provost,
said: ”With twenty years of experience in Hospitality and Tourism, DTU has steadily
enhanced the quality of education and training, in order to contribute
to the creation and expansion of local tourism. In doing so, we have improved their general knowledge, the teaching
of English and the professional skills required in tourism, so that they will
be able to satisfy requirements on graduation.”
The tourism brand cannot be
portrayed as separate pictures, logos or slogans. The tourism brand should
embody all the basic tourism concepts. The branding must be understood and
recognized by the locals and visitors from other parts of Vietnam and abroad. Individuals
and organizations, such as DTU, must be actively involved in making their
contributions to the comprehensive and sustainable development of the Danang
tourism sector.
Professor Guillaume Van Grinsven of PUM has more than forty-five years experience in the entertainment,
tourism and hospitality industries implementing marketing and branding projects
in over eighty countries in the world. He made many practical suggestions based
on the concept of “People who build bridges”. He said: “The creation
of a local tourism brand will help to expand the image of the city to reach our
international friends in a more precise and professional way. In Danang, the tourism
business and the government agencies are living on 'slands', which means that they
are working separately. Tourism organizations, such as the DMO of the Central
Coast of Vietnam and the Danang Tourism Association, and the local government
are disconnected. To be successful, Danang needs to build 'bridges' to connect all
public relations and marketing activities. Danang will become an attractive tourist
destination for all if the residents know how to exploit its distinctive advantages.
To develop the local tourism sector, we need to be friendly and cooperate by building
bridges through education, our culture and events. These bridges will help to perfect
the Danang tourism brand.”
The
signing ceremony for collaboration between DTU, the Novotel Han River Hotel and the SaigonTourist Company
At the conference, an agreement was
signed between DTU, the Novotel Han
River Hotel and the SaigonTourist Company. The Novotel Hotel and SaigonTourist will work with DTU on
recruitment and internships and provide training courses for students to
improve their professional skills. DTU will educate staff at Novotel and SaigonTourist in English and
arrange for them to take part in job-related conferences and meetings, as well
as its annual Job Fair.
The Danang Tourism Branding Project consists of
three major topics and a series of seminars being held from September until December
at DTU, aiming to develop a brand strategy. PUM and the Danang Tourism Promotion Center are completing
their final report before submitting to the city’s Department of Culture,
Sports and & Tourism department and the Danang People’s Committee for implementation
approval.
(Board of
Website Editors)