Vietnam’s tourism sector is finding ways to use the country's reputation as a safe and attractive destination in Southeast Asia, in order to gain a greater share of the international market, said Pham Tu, Vice General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
Speaking at a seminar entitled “Vietnam’s Tourism – Integration and Development” in Hanoi on April 17, Tu outlined the sector's ambitious plan to double growth rates in terms of foreign and domestic visitors, and revenues in the next five years.
The tourism sector is striving for the goal of serving six million foreign visitors and 30 million local travelers by 2010, earning $4.6 billion and attracting $5.5 billion investment for development, including $1.5 billion for tourism infrastructure facilities.
For this goal, the tourism sector needs to build high-quality tourism resorts which meet regional and international standards, as well as strengthen international cooperation, according to Nguyen Chi Dung, Director of the Trade and Services Department under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
The sector also needs to better legal regulations on tourism, he added.
Joe Mannix, head of the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF)'s tourism sub-group, said the outlook for tourism in Vietnam was optimistic, with the number of arrivals to the country hitting record highs.
However, he said, to make the industry's development more sustainable, cooperation between the Government, local authorities and businesses should be strengthened. It was also necessary to issue a master plan for the industry, he said.
He suggested Vietnam become more involved in cooperation and consultation activities held by the sub-group, to help the country gain a better understanding of the challenges to its tourism sector.
Participants at the seminar also discussed the impact of tourism on the national economy, suggesting a strategy should be established to fully tap the country's potential for tourism development, the relationships between tourism development and natural preservation, and measures to increase the competitive edge for the Vietnamese tourism sector.
Last year, the tourism sector served 3.6 million foreign visitors, a 3 per cent year-on-year increase, as well as 17.5 million domestic tourists. It grossed $3.2 billion in revenue, a 42 per cent increase over the previous year; and generated jobs for one million laborers.
Vietnam, home to five World Heritage sites, welcomed 1.1 million foreign visitors in the first three months this year, a year-on-year increase of 13 per cent, according to the General Statistic Office (GSO).
The country targets to host as many as 20.9 million tourists this year. Of them, 3.9 million are predicted to be foreign arrivals, the remaining 17 million being domestic vacationers, an on-year increase of 14 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively. (Vietnam & World Economy, VNA)
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