vn tourism 17 jul 02

Tourist industry should publicise to be spearhead
deputy PM

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Manh Cam has called on the National Steering Board on Tourism (NSBT) to collaborate with localities and relevant agencies to further disseminate information on tourism activities and products in order to make the tourist sector an economic spearhead.

Speaking at the sector's eighth conference in Hanoi on July 16, Deputy Prime Minister Cam asked the Ministries of Public Security and Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Tourism Administration to simplify entry and exit procedures for tourists. He said that the Vietnam Tourism Administration should finalise the operating regulations of overseas tourism promotion offices to be submitted to the prime minister for approval so as to open offices in Japan and France this year.

Mr Cam told the conference that the tourism sector was able to maintain a strong development in the past six months despite slow growth in the world and regional tourism industry. Vietnam welcomed 1.275 million tourists in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 10.1%. The number of domestic tourists reached 6.1 million, a 4.7% year-on-year increase. The tourist sector earned VND 12.5 trillion (US $833 million), up by 12%.

Also in the past six months, the tourist sector collaborated with the central coastal province of Thua Thien-Hue to successfully organise the Festival Hue 2002, which attracted a large number of foreign and domestic tourists. It also worked with the aviation sector to organise a number of tourism programmes in France, Japan, Belgium, the Republic of Korea and China.

To welcome the 22^ndSEA Games in Vietnam next year, the NSBT has proposed the ‘Ha Long Tourism Year 2003’ project to the government for approval. (VNA)