The critical evaluation of the content and discourse of British tour operator promotional materials which present Vietnam as a tourist destination

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation was to critically evaluate the content and discourse of British Tour Operator Promotional Materials which present Vietnam as a travel destination. There are still many people who associate this country with the Vietnam War (1960-1975). The purpose of this paper is to identify what image of Vietnam is being promoted by British tour operator to attract UK tourists. Applying discourse analysis to evaluate the promotional materials was the most suitable research method for this dissertation. It was found out that the image of a destination plays a major role in the decision-making process and hence, the promotion needs to be carefully thought out. The analysed materials revealed that British Tour Operators promote Vietnam as a tradition conscious destination blessed with numerous cultural and natural heritages which offer authentic experiences for the UK tourist. Thus, the results indicate a high interest in cultural tourism even though Vietnam has a wide range of tourism products to offer. As researched, the tourist of today is looking for exceptional experiences and develops much interest in exploring different cultures and natural environments. The tourism industry becomes an important key revenue for Vietnam's economy. Hence, the tourist authorities of VNAT focus on marketing activities globally to encourage the growth of its tourism. Introducing direct flights from London to Vietnam since December 2011, placing advertisements in magazines, taxis or stadiums- the proactive marketing has shown success which is proven by the high number of UK tourist arrivals (156,000) to Vietnam in 2011.