Worth visiting again?

Could be  that some only come as a once off holiday choice and decide to go elsewhere next time.

For first time visitors the culture shock may be too much and they decide once is enough. 

Some may have high expectations after reading glossy brochures with pretty pictures, being told stories by the travel agent and are disappointed when it is not exactly like that.

You have such a big heart but you cant change anything when you are a small person among 84m Viet. Vietnamese have to quit being selfish and irresponsible to be polite and patrious.

VietNam is a very binary country for Foreigners of all types, mixed in with the American War in VietNam and the usual traveller features.

By binary I mean you either love it ... or hate it. This also applies to other countries. Some people expect too much, others regret the passing of traditions.

Many do the Quan 1 + Open Tour bus which means they miss so much as the buses roar through the night, terrorising other drivers and passengers alike.

Then you have the war Veterans returning to relive their days when they were invading VietNam - the problem is either the jungle reclaims bases, battle fields, etc. or the Vietnamese cleaned up afterwards.

Has anyone seen KHE SANH? What happened to the hundreds of tons of heavy sheet steel that the base was built on? Sam Mountain had a communications base on top - all gone. Same with the Marble Mountain intelligence base. Then, if you drive the HO CHI MINH TRAIL between KonTum and Hoi An you suddenly come upon a Chinook-type twin-rotored helicopter in excellent condition (on the outside) carefully polished by local villagers.

So Veterans return home disappointed that their memories have gone and things weren't living up to their expectations.

The type of traveller matters, too. I've known people here in VietNam who could be ready to leave in a couple of hours - they live out of their suitcases longing for the opportunity to leave - often business types - even on prolonged visits.

Another is the 'returning colonialist' who look for how things used to be back in the day and go away disappointed because VietNam is just another 'same-same' country in the hot, basic Far East.

Even Singapore learnt the lesson, and cost, of knocking down history. Much of downtown was demolished and replaced with ersatz glass and steel buildings found all over the world. VietNam is demolishing too much of it's great history, seems that those in power don't appreciate the value of old buildings. Only a fraction of People's Park remains intact.

Even new buildings are despoiled, after 2-3 years of labour the new Financial Centre, opposite Nhu Lan Restaurant, opened. A stylish building with unique features that complimented the Tax Building behind it. Joining the Financial Centre across on Ham Nghi is yet another boring glass and steel box that completely destroys the effect of the other building.

Another class holds the Vietnamese is mild disdain ... OK to look at but to live with? I have a good friend from Hue, a senior manager in her Vietnamese company, whop was housed in a predominantly Foreign occupied apartment building in Quan 1 whose main occupants were diplomatic families and those of senior executives of Foreign companies.

Normally a mild-mannered woman my friend went ballistic when she heard two female residents talking in a Euro-language (not English) who included the comment 'bad enough having them outside, now they are coming inside' referring to her and a few others, presence. My friend explained, in the same language, what she thought of their racist attitude.

Then there is the type, like me, who 'goes native' embracing everything from the countries culture.

A lot of the fault lies with the governments. They see tourists as mobile money trees and set up all the usual traps such as casinos, high-priced hotels (did you know the most expensive suit in Ha Noi is over USD$5,000 per night?), etc.

The Peoples Committee chair in Hoi An is exploiting the tourists - you have to pay to visit the 'ancient' town if you don't live there.

Many destinations are over sold - like Hue. Hue has suffered over the years, with the palace buildings understandably neglected for lack of funds. Why is there still a large, concrete US 'pillbox' sentry post still embedded in one of the gates of the citadel?

Actually, the best part of Hue, for quiet relaxation is behind the citadel but tourists doing the two-day stopover don't have time to discover it.

And what's with these cable cars? I have climbed Mount FanXiPan, it might have taken three days, but there is no need for yet another cable car. Tourism destroyed the misnamed 'love market' - it still exists in other towns up north.

Why don't tourists do the northern loop (Ha Giang, Cao Bang) or the southern loop (Lai Chau, Dien Bien Phu, Son La) - they are so very different from the usual tourist haunts? Instead they take a night train to Cha Pa and a night train back and miss all the 'real' VietNam which is substantially different up north from down south.

Today's tourists are different. Many want everything served up on a platter whilst others want to read up on their destination then go explore. I am lucky inasmuch as I get sabbaticals due to my length of working (and my position in the company) and I often go off on a trip to 'nowhere in particular'. I think I know VietNam better than either Canada or the UK.

The VietNam Visa situation is another unnecessary hassle. The war is over 38 years now, the present day dissidents in California and Texas are well known and can easily be stopped using passenger manifests. So why the expensive visas? VNAT (VietNam National Administration of Tourism) has tried for years to get relaxations.

Even Cambodia, a technically backward country compared to VietNam, has on-line visa processing and it works with minimum problems AND it gets the visa leaching industry out of the process. No one is happy paying all these fees then getting a stamp in the passport for USD$10!

Hi anh Tin Tin

I hope you found the answer from two expat friends above. I absolutely agree with. I am not saying that Vietnam is not good but Vietnam tourism must improve a lot to get tourists back.

I haver ever worked as a receptionist at a hotel in old quarter of Hanoi before. I also traveled to some tourism places in Vietnam and I am sure that almost tourists get bad experiences here. Tourists prefer to go back to Thailand as the service there is much better

While working in a hotel before i had chance to talk with an English President who was invited to come here to discuss and find solution how to make tourism friendly with environment. I asked him about the solution, and he said he really dont know. Lol

In order to make changes, improvement, people must change their thought and action first. But i have no belief that Vnese government is willing to change to improve tourism and get tourits coming back.  Although Vietnam has a very potential strength for tourism with beautiful nature places.

Reading your profile, I can feel that you are still thinking about ur mother-country and always want to do something back to help. I am not sure if I am right. Its just what i feel reading ur profile.

I hope you a nice day at work

Sarah

Vn is just a stopover for tourist coming to SE asia,
Im vietnamese, and i wouldnt even return if not that i had  vn blood in me.
Its just not much to do and see in vietnam for tourist,
Like for instance- i will be going on vacation this december to bangkok before going to hcm in mid december
and i was serching for hotel on agoda, for bangkok and hochiminh city,
And theres is alot cheaper in sukhumvit then theres is in quan1
what a fakking ripoff
Vietnam is you come u see u done it.

i guess the 6% returning is the Vietkieus

from the countries I visited in SE Asia I liked Vietnam and Cambodia the most, before Thailand and Laos. Vietnam has a great interesting histor, the best food, and many diverse things worth to visit.
The only thing I am worried, same for Cambodia as well, that government will develop the tourism industry in negative way. Making most places tourist traps like Hoi An, Mekong Delta tours, Ha Long bay, overcommercialised waterfalls. If you read the news about new planned cable systems in Pnhong Nha park, the developing of Phu Quoc as a tourist island, making Sa Pa a tourist village etc.. it will destroy their tourism even more.

They dont seem to grasp that people come to vietnam and cambodia to encounter the daily pure Vietnam, not some kind of a special designed tourist path.

tintinmiami2013 wrote:

Recently, I read an article that I want to share with you guys. 

http://saigoneer.com/vietnam-travel/304 … to-vietnam

The article basically stated that approximately 6% tourists (Foreigners) return to Vietnam.  Why do you think the % so low?  How can Vietnam improve this %?  Feel free to chime in.

As a first time Global explorer,once is enough.
As a businessman,always come back.
As a family member visiting another family member,always come and stay.
As a tourist,once is an obligation because it's part of the itinerary.
As a Viet Khieu,never leave.

Well said Jaitch,but you forgot the xe om and cyclo rider who continually hound the male tourist for boom boom visits and the cheap booze type, who only see VN through the bottom of a bottle. The area behind the citadel is a treasure trove which most FIFO's never see, like you I intend throwing my self in the deep end, I'm bound to at least float!!

I have been to Vietnam 4 times since 2007.i love the food ,people and the culture.I was however saddend by the invasion and the building in Nha Trang.It seems to me that they paved paradise,Russian is the new second language and the locals feel the pressure of all the building and changes.This was a nice quite back-packers stop.Now the have 4 or 5 high rise hotels.I still love walking the beach pathway with flowers,benches and people exercising.I always swim with the locals until the sun goes down,then a quick shower and a good meal.My evening ends with a coconut drink or a ice coffee watching the kite fliers or skaters.I don't like the 90 day visa and you have to pay for multiple entries.That said I might be back again.I would love to get a teaching job working 3 hours a day .I just wouldn't teach in HCM ,3 days is enough for me.I am a 60 year young man who has retired from teaching in The US.I have traveled with myself and other times with my wife.We have no relatives we just enjoy the country. I also love the prices though they have been rising more than inflation but still a bargain.