In tourism, tourist satisfaction is the feeling when the expectations of the trip are satisfied by the activities and services provided are exactly or higher than what the tourists expect. There are many factors that affect tourist satisfaction such as natural resources, service quality, etc.
At the Workshop on Evaluating Tourist Satisfaction at some World Heritage Sites in Vietnam on the morning of September 27, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Director of the Institute of Tourism Development Research (Vietnam National Administration of Tourism), said that the workshop aimed to evaluate and propose solutions to improve tourist satisfaction, contributing to increasing the ability to attract tourists to world heritage sites in Vietnam.
Currently, Vietnam has 5 world cultural heritages: Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Ho Dynasty Citadel, Hue Monuments Complex, Hoi An Ancient Town Heritage Site and My Son Sanctuary.
The workshop proposed 7 factors affecting tourist satisfaction: unique cultural resources and values, environmental quality, service infrastructure quality, price, safety, security, order, etc.
The results showed that the majority of tourists rated the quality at 77% satisfied and very satisfied, 23% of tourists rated it at average level and 1% of tourists were dissatisfied.
Some of the reasons that make tourists feel dissatisfied include: famous world cultural heritage sites in peak season are overloaded, crowded; crowded places do not ensure safety, security and social order; facilities such as toilets do not meet standards, etc.
Ms. Nguyen Hong Chi, Deputy Director of the Thang Long Heritage Conservation Center (Hanoi), shared: “Thang Long Imperial Citadel is currently the only world cultural heritage in Hanoi, so it is very difficult to achieve the satisfaction of all visitors. Tourists are becoming more and more demanding, so we are still trying our best.
Our goal for 2024 is to attract one million visitors, with the first six months of the year recording more than 600,000. We have invested heavily in communications and have achieved success in making more domestic and foreign tourists aware of Thang Long Imperial Citadel.”
Or Ms. Van Thi Cam Tu, Deputy Director of My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board, mentioned the difficulties in promoting tourism development in the locality.
“My Son Cultural Heritage Site is located deep in the valley, especially the weather is extremely hot, on the contrary, the rainy season is very complicated and often floods occur, which heavily affects tourism. During peak season, there is often a lack of tour guides, so the highest satisfaction is not achieved,” said Ms. Cam Tu.
Analyzing the difficulties that have not been completely resolved, the Institute for Tourism Development Research, together with experts and heritage managers, proposed a number of solutions.
First, cultural heritage sites need to more strongly implement online ticket sales and individual ticket sales via QR codes for tourist groups to facilitate early service booking, without causing delays.
The Management Board of cultural heritage sites needs to apply modern technology in introducing, displaying, explaining and promoting heritage values.
At the same time, diversify heritage education programs, enhance practical experiences; increase the organization of heritage events; and supplement infrastructure to serve visitors.
In addition, it is necessary to enhance tourism services; connect the heritage with other relics in the area.
