VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam’s tourism should be introduced to the world as an open, self-confident tourism which bears distinct, endless and dynamic beauty.

On August 2, 2011, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the EU funded ESRT project (development capacity in implementing environment and society responsible tourism) reported to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) Hoang Tuan Anh about the projects on building logo and slogan for marketing Vietnam’s tourism in the period of 2011-2015.

The experts from the EU funded project had working sessions with groups of partners and Cowan, which has been chosen by MCST as the main partner to build up a logo and slogan for the tourism promotion program in the next stage, and the Market Department under VNAT to discuss the building up of a best logo and slogan for Vietnam.

Especially, the experts have been focusing on building up branding strategy, designing logo and slogan and promoting brand.

Kirsten Focken, Marketing Consultant of the project said that Vietnam is now one of the most attractive tourism points in Asia. However, the competition in Asia is getting stiffer, while every country wants its slogan and logo become most outstanding and original.

She has stressed that the message that Vietnam needs to convey to the world is that Vietnam’s tourism is no longer “hidden”. Vietnam’s tourism should be introduced to the world as an open, self-confident tourism which bears distinct, endless and dynamic beauty. Travelers to Vietnam will have the chances to take long and periodic trips where they can discover, entertain; play in the conditions of good tourism infrastructure, favorable and easily accessible transport system.

Prior to that, the slogan “Vietnam – a hidden charm” has been used for a long time to advertise Vietnam’s tourism. In 2010, MCST organized a competition composing logos and slogans for Vietnam’s tourism. Though the multi-colored star and the slogan "Viet Nam- A Different Orient" got the first prize in the competition, they were not chosen as the new slogan for Vietnam’s tourism in the new development period.

In the tourism development strategy in the new period, Vietnam cherishes the ambitious hope to become the leading destination in the region. The markets in Asia Pacific prove to be the markets with medium and high spending levels, which are considered the target markets for Vietnam.

Experts have pointed out that Vietnam needs to have different tourism products and carry out different promotion campaigns to be applied to different markets.

At the working session on August 2, two solutions for logo and slogan were presented, where the main images - the star and lotus - are designed in a sophisticated and creative way.

The representatives from MSCT and VNAT all agreed that the ways of accessing and implementing the project on composing logo and brand for Vietnam’s tourism is really very professional, scientific and convincing.

MSCT Minister Hoang Tuan Anh said that the suggested solutions have shown accurate feelings about Vietnam. He has urged relevant agencies to take next steps to make final decision.

HCM City has decided that “Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City” will be the official slogan to be used in the city’s tourism marketing campaigns.

La Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director of the HCM City Department for Culture, Sports and Tourism, has said that the slogan has been designed by Cowan. After the solution was approved by competent agencies on August 2, the department will begin applying the new slogan for publications and tourism promotion programs to appear at the international tourism exhibition, which will take place in the city in September.

Cowan has outlined seven factors for the positioning of HCM City’s tourism. The city should be shown as a friendly and peaceful city, full of vitality, charming with outstanding features, a city with bustling traffic.

C. V