VietNamNet Bridge – A tourism stimulus programme was announced at a conference in Hanoi on July 8 in a move to attract more tourists from five Western Europe countries (Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy) and Belarus to Vietnam, and promote the efficiency of Vietnam’s unilateral visa exemption agreements signed with these nations.

The stimulus programme aims to draw more Western Europe tourists to Vietnam.

The conference was co-organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA) and Vietnam Airlines, aiming to boost implementation of resolutions on unilateral visa exemptions for these countries and Directive No. 14 on enhancing State management and focusing on addressing weaknesses in the tourism sector.

The stimulus programme is a synchronous one from developing products and organising services of high quality and competitive prices to ensuring environmental security, safety and hygiene, contributing to promoting Vietnam’s tourism and making the country an appealing destination to Western Europe countries.

In this programme, the tourism sector will offer new products at a 20-30% discount in price compared to normal ones, and encourage localities and enterprises to build appropriate products, including those connecting nations aiming to attract tourists visiting many countries.

The VNAT and the VITA will also hold talks with international airlines operating flights to Western European countries, aiming to increase opportunities to draw tourists from this market to Vietnam.

Western Europe is a traditional tourism market for Vietnam, providing an average of 700,000 tourists to Vietnam each year, while about 150,000 Vietnamese visitors leave for this region annually, according to VITA Vice President Vu The Binh.

The quantity of tourists, however, has yet to meet Vietnam’s economic and political relations with Western Europe countries, Binh said, hailing the visa exemption decision for the abovementioned countries as a breakthrough opening up opportunities for bilateral economic exchanges and creating favourable conditions for Western Europe’s tourism growth to Vietnam.

The conference was part of activities to mark the 55th anniversary of Vietnam’s tourism sector (July 9, 1960-2015).

Nhan Dan