
Viet
Nam ranks 10th on global tourism ‘brand’ list
(21-02-2006)
HA NOI —Viet Nam earned 10th place
on two lists ranking the global tourism industry.
The nation made the list of most
improved countries and fastest developing markets for travel
and tourism, according to the Future Brand Firm.
The list accompanies an annual
report which makes a three-tiered analysis of statistics,
a global qualitative survey and expert opinions of international
travel professionals. The report examined the trends, travel
motivations, and challenges and opportunities within the travel
and tourism sector, the world’s second largest industry.
The firm also ranked countries
according to a variety of other measures such as art, culture,
history, and conference facilities and business travel.
Italy, Australia and the US led
the global country brand list in the travel and tourism sector,
considered the survey’s most important indicator.
According to Jean-Louis Dumeu,
chairman and chief executive officer of Future Brand Firm,
the report would promote dialogue, raise questions and encourage
countries to take new looks at themselves.
The strong country brand will
offer nations a competitive advantage and help build long-term
opportunity for business, tourism, exports and investment,
added Dumeu.
Future Brand is a leading strategic
brand development firm operating out of 21 offices in 17 countries
around the world.
Last
year, Ha Noi ranked fifth on the list of best tourist cities
in Asia as selected by the prestigious US magazine Travel
& Leisure. In 2005, Ha Noi earned more than VND11 trillion
(US$692 million) from tourism. It welcomed more than 1.1 million
foreign visitors, accounting for 32.16 per cent of total foreign
visitors to Viet Nam, and more than 4.3 million domestic visitors.
— VNS