TTLV: Innovating and improving immigration procedures for tourists at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Student's full name: HUYNH THANH THI

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: July 31, 1978

4. Place of birth: Vinh Long

5. Decision on student admission No. 2123/2011/QD/XHNV-SDH dated January 1, 2011, by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process: none

7. Thesis Title: Innovation and Improvement of Immigration and Emigration Procedures for Tourists at Tan Son Nhat International Airport

8. Major: Tourism Code:

9. Scientific supervisor: Dr. Do Ngoc Anh – Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture

11. Summary of the thesis results:

From information gathered from online forums, books, and magazines about tourism, and from research on the reasons why tourists visit and will return to Vietnam, there are many suggestions and assessments that those in charge of state management in the tourism, aviation, and immigration sectors need to consider, such as: service quality, prices, and immigration procedures at Vietnamese border gates.

Arising from this urgent need, reforming and improving immigration procedures for tourists at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to facilitate their arrival in Vietnam is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible.

Immigration and customs procedures at Tan Son Nhat International Airport have improved significantly in recent times, but in reality, many shortcomings still exist, with unnecessary and cumbersome procedures for passengers entering and exiting the airport.

This research topic will conduct in-depth study of the procedures and support services at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, aiming to facilitate and improve the quality of immigration and customs services at Tan Son Nhat Airport.

To objectively understand how tourists perceive immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, this study will conduct a random survey of tourists who have undergone immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat International Airport as a basis for evaluation.

The questions raised are: Are international tourists truly satisfied with the procedures at the international airport? To what extent are they satisfied? How can we improve satisfaction levels to attract more tourists to Tan Son Nhat International Airport and visit Vietnam?

Based on the above objectives, this research aims to survey and evaluate the level of satisfaction of tourists visiting Tan Son Nhat International Airport during the period from 2008 to 2013. From this, it will analyze and evaluate the results objectively, proposing solutions to improve satisfaction with immigration procedures for tourists.

Assessing the current situation: How have tourists been evaluating immigration and customs procedures at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in recent times?

Proposed solution: The relevant departments at Tan Son Nhat International Airport should implement solutions to create the most favorable conditions for tourists passing through the international airport, simultaneously meeting the needs of attracting and developing tourism while ensuring effective national security control.

Research objectives: To understand what tourists want and expect, and what aspects they are dissatisfied with… Based on this, the research topic will propose solutions to relevant authorities at Tan Son Nhat Airport to create the best possible conditions for tourists participating in immigration and customs activities at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

12. Practical Applications: Upon completion of this research, this project will serve as a reference source for the State Management Agency on Immigration (A72) in gathering information and reference materials for the draft "Law on Immigration and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam". It will also be useful for the State Management Agency on Tourism (Vietnam National Administration of Tourism) and the aviation industry, especially those agencies currently managing and providing services at Tan Son Nhat Airport, and for developing and attracting tourists to Vietnam through international air gateways.

13. Future research directions: Besides immigration procedures, there are many other related services at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Future research topics need to delve into more detail and scope for each department, such as Customs procedures, Aviation procedures, etc., and propose specific solutions for each sector.

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: HUYNH THANH THI

2. Sex: male

3. Date of birth: July 31, 1978

4. Place of birth: Vinh Long

5. Admission decision number: 2123/2011/QD/XHNV- SDH Dated November 1, 2011

6. Changes in academic process: N/A

7. Official thesis title: Innovating and improving immigration procedures for tourists at Tan Son Nhat International Airport

8. Major: Tourism Sciences 9. Code: Focal training program.

10. Supervisors: Dr. By Ngoc Anh – Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture

11. Summary of the findings of the thesis:

According to sources of information in various online forums, travel newspapers and magazines referring to reasons why tourists visit and will come back to Vietnam, there are many evaluative opinions of which government officials in tourism, aviation and immigration industries need to be aware such as: service quality, price and immigration-related management procedures at Vietnamese borders have been still quite inadequate.

Originating from those essential needs, the innovation and improvement in Immigration procedures for tourists at Tan Son Nhat International Airport meant to well facilitate tourists visiting Vietnam is a pressing problem needed implemented at once as soon as possible.

Immigration formalities at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in the past times have been much improved, but in fact there are still many difficulties as well as unnecessarily annoying procedures when tourists go through immigration at Tan Son Nhat airport.

This subject is going to undertake in-depth research on procedures and support services at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, so as to facilitate and enhance immigration quality at Tan Son Nhat airport for better improvements gradually.

In order to get tourists' opinions as to evaluate immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat International Airport objectively, the subject is conducted with random survey method in which foreign tourists who have been through immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat International Airport will be studied to form a basis for evaluation.

The stated issue for the research is whether immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat international airport truly met tourists' needs and gained their trust yet? Particularly whether foreign tourists were satisfied with procedures at the international airport? At which level were they satisfied? How to enhance the level of satisfaction so as to attract more and more tourists to arrive in Tan Son Nhat international airport and travel in Vietnam?

In view of these stated issues above, the research objective of the subject is to study and evaluate the level of response, trust and satisfaction of tourists arriving in Tan Son Nhat international airport when they go through immigration procedures in the stage of 2008 - 2013, then analyze, evaluate and produce objectively practical outcomes in order to recommend solutions for enhancing tourists' satisfaction in immigration procedures.

Evaluate situation: how tourists have been evaluating the service of immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat international airport lately.

Recommend solutions so that functional departments of Tan Son Nhat International Airport can innovate and improve immigration procedures facilitate tourists going through the international airport, not only fulfilling the needs of attracting tourists for tourism development but also ensuring good control of national security.

Research objective: Understand what tourists desire, at which they are still not satisfied … Consequently innovate and improve immigration procedures at Tan Son Nhat airport, fulfill tourists' needs, gain their trust and especially their satisfaction.

12. Feasibility: Upon the research completion, this subject will be considered as a reference for Immigration Authorized Organizations (A72) to obtain information and a reference source for the draft of “Law of Immigration, and Residence of foreigners in Vietnam”. Tourism-related authorized organizations (Vietnam National Administration of Tourism) and aviation industry, especially parties are in charge of administration Government as well as service companies at Tan Son Nhat airport so as to develop and attract tourists to Vietnam through international aviation.

13. Further research opportunities: In addition to immigration procedures, there are many other procedures related to immigration at Tan Son Nhat international airport. In the future, the subjects should go into details on a wider scale for each function such as: improving customs procedures, simplifying aviation procedures…and relevant specific solutions for each industry section.