CNN broadcasts Vietnam tourism ad amid US elections

By Hoang Phong   October 15, 2020 | 07:39 pm PT
CNN broadcasts Vietnam tourism ad amid US elections
Tourists sunbathe on Khem Beach on Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam, 2019. Photo by Shutterstock/Andy Tran.
CNN has begun to air a 30-second commercial on Vietnam’s natural attractions, foods and cultural heritage that seeks to promote the country’s tourism.

It would be broadcast until mid-November, and is expected to be seen by a large number of global viewers tuning in for the U.S. presidential elections, said Nguyen Le Phuc, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

The clip seeks to convey the message that Vietnam is a "safe, new and exciting" destination to visit "when you're ready to travel again".

The country has recorded no domestic Covid-19 cases for over a month, and all 56 active cases were imported.

Though the government has allowed the resumption of some international commercial flights, foreign tourists have yet to be allowed back into the country. The only foreigners currently allowed entry are those carrying diplomatic or official passports, experts, managers, highly-skilled workers, and investors, their family members, international students, and family members of Vietnamese citizens.

The VNAT, however, has begun deploying tourism promotion campaigns to prepare for industry recovery times. Besides placing the commercial ad on CNN, it is conducting other media and marketing campaigns, Phuc said.

Da Nang, central Vietnam's top tourist destination, last June broadcast commercials on BBC World News as part of efforts to revive its tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the pandemic.

Hanoi signed a $4-million tourism promotion deal with CNN for 2019-2024, but in April the two sides agreed to suspend tourism promotion ads until the Covid-19 crisis passes.

 
 
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