According to the General Statistics Office, the number of international visitors to Vietnam in July was estimated at 564,736, making the total number of the first 7 months reach 4.85 million, up 15.6 percent compared to that of the same period in 2013. Vietnam Business Forum interviewed Mr Nguyen Van Tuan, General Director of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), on tourism development in Vietnam in the upcoming time. Le Hien reports. What are your opinions about the impressive figures of the Vietnamese tourism industry in the first 7 months of the year?
This reflects a great effort by the entire tourism industry plus close guidance of the Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In the first four months, international visitor arrivals to Vietnam surged thanks to effective tourism promotions, the attractions of Vietnam as a safe, friendly destination, and many international events taking place in Vietnam. However, in early May, China’s illegal installation of its oil exploration platform in the territorial waters of Vietnam caused complicated developments, adversely impacted Vietnam’s tourism activities, and reduced international visitors, mainly from Chinese-speaking countries. This period was also the low tourism season when fewer international travellers when to Vietnam. However, compared with the same period of last year, the six-month targets in tourist arrivals and revenues still grew well.
To have these results, how did the tourism sector promptly respond to new situations?
VNAT actively responded to new situations, strengthened directions to the implementation of urgent measures to stabilise and develop tourism and accelerate growth momentums. The key tasks were carried out in accordance with Plan 46/KH-BVHTTDL on responses to new situations. VNAT directed localities and businesses to stabilise situations and not to discriminate against Chinese tourists. Then, we proactively sent information on the situation to media agencies and foreign representative offices in Vietnam to let them capture real developments in Vietnam. We worked with 17 embassies whose countries had many citizens visiting Vietnam to inform their citizens of developments in Vietnam. We welcomed some famtrips and presstrips from key markets like Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.
In the coming time, we will recommend that the Government and relevant departments have good preferential policies for tourism development such as visa to further facilitate tourists. Besides, we step up domestic tourism stimulus, remove difficulties relating to tax and vehicles against enterprises, and accelerate tourism promotions in other countries.
The message we wanted to send to worldwide tourists is: Vietnam is still a safe, friendly and attractive destination.
What will the tourism sector do to maintain sustainable development?
In the last six months of 2014, Vietnam’s tourism industry will continue to carry out activities to cope with adverse impacts caused by East Sea tensions as guided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; and deploy the Conclusion of the Head of the Central Steering Board for Tourism. We will continue to implement tasks of the National Tourism Action Programme and the National Tourism Promotion Programme; organise activities in the framework of the National Tourism Year 2014 in Lam Dong province – Central Highlands and prepare for the National Tourism Year 2015 in Thanh Hoa province.
We will complete major projects like the Master Plan for Tourism Development in the Southeast Region and the South Central Coast to 2020, with a vision to 2030, the master plans for national tourist sites like Nui Ba (Tay Ninh province), Son Tra (Danang City), Dien Bien Phu Muong – Pha Khoang – Muong Phang (Dien Bien province); organise ceremonies to honour and present awards to well performing tourism companies in 2013, host the Tourism Business Conference 2014, perform international tourist surveys at border gates in 2014-2015, and receive famtrips and presstrips from key markets.
Đăng ký: VietNam News