Hanoi (VNA) – Close connection, smoothcoordination and comprehensive cooperation among ministries, sectors,localities, travel associations, and businesses are crucial to boost fast andsustainable tourism growth, stated Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh while chairinga conference in Hanoi on November 15 on promoting tourism development.

Chinh said that over the years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic period, the Government has issued many mechanisms and policies tosupport tourism activities, along with measures to speed up tourism recoveryand development, including loosened visa policies and reduction of power pricesfor tourist accommodation facilities.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the whole political system,businesses and the people as well as cooperation from international partners,Vietnam’s tourism sector has shown fast recovery and growth.

He noted that in 2022, the total revenue from tourism activitiesreached 495 trillion VND (20.39 billion USD), 2.75 folds that in2021. In the first 10 months of this year, tourism was a bright spot in thecountry’s economy, serving 99 million domestic and 10 million foreign tourists,exceeding the yearly plan by 8 million visitors. Total earnings from tourismactivities hit 582.6 trillion VND.

The Government leader highlighted Vietnam’s outstandingadvantages and opportunities to boost tourism, including stable political and securitysituation, good infrastructure system, diverse natural landscapes, uniquecultural identity, and sound relations with many countries.

However, he pointed out that tourism development has yet tomeet the country’s potential, with modest number of visitors and poor tourismconnectivity among ministries, sectors and localities as well as loosepartnership between the public and private sectors, and a lack of large-scaletourism promotion activities.

PM Chinh underscored that the tourism development motto forthe coming time is boosting the sector’s growth in a fast and sustainablemanner, with smooth mechanisms, strong infrastructure system, and smartmanagement.

The leader asked ministries, sectors, localities, andtravel firms to foster their comprehensive and effective linkage with clear division of responsibility, promoting the orientation role of national tourism agencies,and forming tourism regions serving as driving forces for tourism growth.

At the same time, it is necessary to develop socio-economicinfrastructure system and strengthen public-private partnership in tourism, andsupport small- and medium-sized enterprises as well as households engaging intourism activities to speed up digital transformation and access capital.

The PM assigned specific tasks to particular ministries,sectors and localities in building the tourism planning for the 2021-2030period with a vision to 2045 and removing difficulties in launching direct internationalair routes.

He ordered stronger efforts in human resources training forthe tourism sector and building new and unique tourism products basing on thecountry’s advantages and potential, as well as greater attention to tourismenvironment management, heritage preservation, and smart tourism ecosystemdevelopment.

Chinh advised domestic travel firms to strengthen cooperation andmutual support to overcome difficulties.

The PM pledged that the Government will work hard to directministries, sectors and localities to provide best conditions for the peopleand business community to join hands in boosting fast and sustainable tourismdevelopment.

Participants at the conference gave various ideas to boosttourism development. Vu The Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Travel Association, proposed that the Government adjust policies that was issued in the COVID-19 period,while allowing travel firms to access soft loans from the State, restructuringthe international tourism market, strengthening tourism promotion, andswitching to green tourism and diversifying tourism products.

President and CEO of VietJet Air and President of SOVICOGroup Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao said that Vietnam should launch a national actionprogramme to boost tourism, while building national-scale tourism promotionprogrammes, designing more favourable visa policy, investing more in technologyapplication in enter-exit activities and e-visa issuance for internationalvisitors, and paying greater attention to training high quality human resourcesfor the tourism sector.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of the People’sCommittee of Quang Ninh, underlined the need for ministries and sectors toreview their mechanisms and policies to support businesses and investors in thefield of tourism. She said she hopes an annual meeting will be held forlocalities with relevant ministries and sectors to sketch out annual tourismdevelopment orientations./.