Developing Vietnam’s tourism needs to target three strategic solutions

Developing Vietnam’s tourism needs to target three strategic solutions
Developing Vietnam’s tourism needs to target three strategic solutions Related image(s)

(CPV) – Following resolutions of the Party and National Assembly (NA) on tourism, the Government sought ways to resolve the difficulties in tourism development and proposed Resolution 40 with three specific solutions. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hoang Tuan Anh reviewed the concerns of NA delegates about tourism that have prevailed since the setting of socio-economic targets in 2014 until a discussion session held on June 8th, in Hanoi. Vietnam should focus on international tourism promotion to attract more foreign tourists. (Photo: VNA) The first component for study and consideration was the considerable expansion of the unilateral visa exemptions for tourists to encourage an increase in visitors. The minister outlined evidence that Thailand waived tourist visa requirements for 61 countries, of which, 49 were offered unilateral exemption while Malaysia applied a visa-waiver programme for 155 countries with unilateral visa exemption for 85. Travelers from 180 countries were eligible for Singapore’s visa exemption programme, including 80 unilateral visa-free countries. Therefore, the expansion of visa exemptions for travelers to Vietnam is experience that relevant agencies should study in order to attract more international visitors. Secondly, Vietnam needs to have a clear definition of the roles required of international tourism promotion and needs to increase the resources required through direct investment. The minister admitted that although the government had focused significant attention to the task, the ultimate capacity of the industry sector for the country revealed limitations. In respect of annual, direct government investment on promoting tourism, the disparity between Vietnam (USD3 million) and neighbouring countries such as Thailand (USD 80 million), Malaysia (USD100 million) and Singapore (USD130 million) a year is significant. Vietnam should ensure a stable tourism environment and attend directly to the problems that have been identified over recent years, in particular the publishing of prices. The minister said in order to strictly solve the situation, Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung issued Instruction 18 on must-be-done works, in which travel businesses were asked to list price publicly. The ministry has also established and maintained a hotline to receive feedback which is always checked with violations being strictly handled. “We are very proud that the world’s leading magazines praised Vietnam among the best destinations with Hanoi voted as one of the top cities attracting the attention of tourists. Therefore, in order to develop the potential and strengths of Vietnam’s tourism, we need to expand visa policies, strengthen tourism development funds, continue to invest in infrastructure and especially improve the quality of human resources in the tourism sector “, stressed Minister Hoang Tuan Anh./.