By APD writer Alice
Hanoi, January 28 (APD) – Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien has urged the tourism sector to work harder to attract 18 million foreign tourists in 2019, said.
Thien requested the sector to focus on tourism promotion in major markets, thus luring more travellers from these markets and ensuring the growth in the number of visitors.
2018 was a successful years for the Vietnamese tourism sector as the country welcomed a record 15.6 million international tourists and 80 million domestic travellers. Total revenue hit 620 trillion VND (around 26.55 billion USD).
The number of international tourist arrivals surged three-fold from 5 million in 2010. The remarkable growth reflected the great efforts made by all players in the sector, particularly the large network of local travel agencies and strategic tourism investors nationwide.
The success has also been attributed to the large-scale and intensified efforts of tourism authorities to promote the country overseas. To aid such efforts, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has adopted a system of indicators to evaluate a destination and a tourism code of conduct; designed various plans to strengthen the management of travel agencies and tour guides; and raised awareness of the importance of quality among tourism service providers, local administrations, and tourism authorities.
According to the VNAT, to meet the demands of visitors from different markets, Vietnam has developed a diverse range of tourism products that make use of the country’s advantages, including cultural tours, sea-based tours, eco-tours, adventure tours, luxurious resort vacations, and more.
In recent years, a range of popular holiday destinations like Ha Long, Phu Quoc, and Da Nang have helped develop the popular imagery of Vietnam, promoting the national tourism among international visitors and becoming the main drivers of the industry’s growth.
Also in 2018, the country won a series of international awards, recognising it as a safe and friendly destination. Vietnam was named the “Asia’s Leading Destination” for the first time at the 2018 World travel Awards in Hong Kong this September. Two months later, it was honoured with the title of “Asia’s best golf destination in 2018” at the Golf World travel Awards.
During the year, 380 new travel firms received international business licences, while 4,678 individuals got new tour guide licences.
In 2019, Vietnam expects to welcome some 103 million visitors, including around 18 million foreigners and 85 million domestic travellers, up 15 percent and 6 percent, respectively, from 2018.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)