To counter this, Verduyen says a global marketing campaign is needed. They need to put aside a big sum to market the country. Exotissimo Travel Vietnam Company Ltd vice director Philippe Richard points out the government does not have the funds to develop the tourism industry to its full potential. But according to Verduyen, foreign investors are put off by bureaucracy and double standards. For example, there are two electricity rates in Vietnam.
Foreign companies pay double or triple that of local companies.
If the market is good we don't mind contributing to the profits but if the market is down we can also contribute to making it more successful. We don't want to be penalised further. No investor wants to come here and not see a return on their investment. The government is taking steps to address the issues and encourage more foreign investment. It recently reduced international telephone charges by 20 per cent.