TUOITRENEWS: Here we are in
one of the first days of 2012. We have asked three foreigners working in
different industries in Vietnam what they expect and predict for the new year.
Let’s see what they have to say:
Modernity will take place in big cities
I have lived in Vietnam for a
year and I am glad to have witnessed the transition between 2011 and 2012 in
one of the fastest growing economies in Asia. Expats that came to Vietnam ten
years ago said the country has changed to a point newcomers like me wouldn't be
able to imagine. Even Vietnamese living abroad are often amazed by the constant
evolution of the cities when they come back to their home country once every
two or three years.
What are my predictions for
Vietnam for 2012 and onward? There will be more buildings here and there,
modern shopping malls, and more restaurants serving food from around the world
in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
If I had only one expectation,
one wish about Vietnam, it would be an ability to let them accept the
economical change whilst keeping their Vietnamese identity. Isn’t it time to
bring back Asian wisdom?
Alain Tinlot (Swiss, working in
hotel industry)
The digital age changes the way we communicate
I believe there will be changes
in education next year, and change will occur on a positive trajectory. As a
foreigner, I have to say I’m so lucky to work in this dynamic and rapidly
progressing country, which treasures education and its teachers dearly. Working
in international tertiary education, what strikes me the most is increasing
technological access for teachers and students alike.
As Vietnam surges into the
future, so too does the use of digital media, specifically social media. I
teach professional communication focused on public relations and advertising.
And I’m amazed by how central social media is becoming to both of these
professions. The digital age is changing the way we communicate with each other
and how we receive messages.
Society is never static. There
are ongoing changes and expectations with each new generation, and this has
never been more evident than for today’s youth. I think this comes on the back
of exciting times for Vietnam, which keeps powering ahead in leaps and bounds.
I feel a buzz every time I interact with my students – their optimism and
ambition is electrifying. Yet while communication habits and the way people
send and receive messages continually evolve, human nature, I believe, stays
the same.
Jade Bilowol (Australian,
lecturer, Professional Communication Program at the RMIT International
University Vietnam)
2012, good year for tourism, bad year for environment
Vietnam’s outlook for tourism
in the new year will be slow but positive. Unfortunately the environment is
another story.
The tourism industry will
continue to grow in 2012, but at only a slight rate due to global recession and
poor government marketing strategies. Tourism in the Central Highlands,
northern Vietnam (outside Hanoi) and the Mekong will decline slightly. Hanoi
and HCMC will remain at current levels but tourism in coastal areas will increase
moderately.
Whether Vietnam officially
accepts the New 7 Wonders designation for Ha Long Bay, or finally declines it,
I predict the outcome will have relatively no effect on tourism levels. Ha Long
Bay will continue to be a major attraction but be fraught with safety issues.
Development of the Long Wall of
Quang Ngai as a tourist attraction will slowly continue, and years later will
draw more tourists than Ha Long Bay.
The year 2012 will be
transitional for Mui Ne. The beach will begin to take on more of an impersonal
party-town feel, characteristic of a Thailand tourist destination. Crime,
traffic accidents, drownings and pollution will all increase. The tourism
industry will grow in 2012 but at more moderate levels than 2011.
The year 2011 was a bad year
for the environment, but 2012 will be worse. Vietnam will push forward with
dams at the Cat Tien UNESCO Biosphere, despite controversy. UNESCO will fail to
address the issue, despite serious degradation of the park.
Meanwhile, wild Asian elephants
will be pushed to the edge of extinction in Vietnam due to poaching of ivory
and tail hair. Debate will also arise over whether wild tigers are now
officially extinct in Vietnam due to trafficking and ‘tiger farming’.
Vietnamese authorities will continue to make impressive seizures of trafficked
wildlife but it will not deter the overall rate of wildlife trafficking.
Adam Bray (American, writer
& photographer, contributed to more than 25 travel guidebooks on Vietnam
and Southeast Asia)
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment