Vietnam Tourism Targets Upper Seat in Region

3:26:42 PM | 7/8/2005

Vietnam has set a target of joining countries highly rated for tourism in the region in the next five years, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has said.

To achieve this target, the country hopes to attract six million foreign visitors and 23 million domestic tourists by 2010, grossing around US$4.4 billion.

The communist Government plans to grant visa exemptions to visitors from major markets and open more direct air routes to foreign countries on par with enhancing attractions to current key markets including Western Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, ASEAN and Australia.

In the near future, the hospitality industry will seek more investment in tourism to improve the quality of tourism services and create highly competitive tourism products, and promote ecological and historical tourism.

Vietnam has so far signed 24 bilateral tourism agreements with countries inside and outside the region. The VNAT has also established relations with more than 1,000 travel agencies from 50 countries and territories.

In addition, the local hospitality sector has effectively participated in international and regional forums such as the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and the Greater Mekong Sub-region Tourism Development Program.

Recently, Vietnam cooperated with the WTO to successfully organize the Asia-Pacific Tourism Ministerial Meeting.

In 2005 a series of tourism promotion programs are going to be organized from Northern Vietnam to Southern Vietnam in order to attract more tourists.

VNAT is going to launch a promotion program on the CNN TV station and hold four road shows in India, ASEAN, Australia and the US to promote Vietnam’s image. Local tour companies will also take part in 11 international tourism fairs in key markets.

Vietnam is expected to welcome 3.2 million foreign and 15 million domestic visitors this year, earning on-year increases in revenue of between 10-15 per cent, VNAT said.