Despite a myriad of natural and cultural attractions, most overseas tourists are skipping the central coast and Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands), which only lure about 10% of Vietnam's foreign visitors.

Lack of tourism infrastructure and mass media promotions are the main reasons these regions are by-passed by the majority of arrivals, said Ho Viet, head of the National Administration for Tourism's representative office in the central region.

Between 2001-2004, the State invested nearly VND680 billion (US$43 million) to promote regional tourism. "But the State support met only about 40% of demand," Viet said.

Along with ineffective promotion, another hurdle is untrained tourism staff, Viet said, adding the notion of developing organized and professional tourism was still new to many provinces in the central region and Central Highlands.

The official used the examples of Cua Tung beach in Quang Tri province and Bang Mineral Water Complex in Quang Binh province. He said neither is managed by tourism companies and as a result, neither is attracting many tourists.

Attractions abound

"When talking about traveling to these regions, many people conjure images of Hue, Hoi An and the beaches of Nha Trang and Mui Ne," said Nguyen Hoang, a guide from Hanoi-based tour operator Handspan.

Hoang said areas generally only become hot spots after comprehensive tourism promotions. He said although the Phong Nha-Ke Bang cave system in Quang Binh was awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO earlier this year, tourists still do not have a strong impression of the area due to lack of advertising.

Even in the historic town of Hoi An (the big draw card), many tourists complained about the lack of entertainment deemed sensitive, such as massage, bars or discos.

"I think the decision of Hoi An authorities is reasonable in general," said Ho Viet. "But from the perspective of many overseas tourists, this is somewhat extreme."

He added that tourists have diverse demands and authorities should not always ban these services. He suggested that such services need effective management. Concerning the Central Highlands, the National Administration for Tourism is launching a Green Road tour of the region next year.

"Tay Nguyen offers eco-tourism potential with many natural attractions: Gia Lam, Trinh Nu, Phu Cuong waterfalls, Buon Don National Park and Bien Ho," he said. "It can also offer visitors cultural insights into the lifestyles of the ethnic people living in the region."

Viet hoped the new tour will improve living and education standards of local residents.
Given foreign visitor numbers to the regions stood at about 250,000 last year, regional authorities have set ambitious targets to attract 1.2 million overseas tourists and 5.2 million domestic visitors by 2005. "To reach the targets, we are also rolling out the red carpet for investors with hope of improving tourism infrastructure," Viet said.(VN net)