Tourism has been identified as a spearhead industry that will have a spillover effect on many other sectors, so it needs a special mechanism for development.

A measure for enhancing trade promotions through cost contributions from enterprises is being considered.

Indirect contribution at 14% of GDP

Ngo Dong Hai, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission, said tourism had been growing drastically, so it could become a spearhead sector with great contribution to the country’s socio-economic development. 

He was speaking at a conference on tourism held as part of the 2017 Vietnam International Travel Mart.

Last year, the tourism sector saw a 10.2% rise in international tourist arrivals and an 11.8% increase in domestic visitors. For the first time, the country achieved 10 million international visitors a year. 

Direct contribution to GDP was 6.1% and indirect one was 14%, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

In that context, to help the Vietnamese tourism industry bringing into full play its potentials and strengths, and for healthy and strong development in the coming time, the Politburo issued Resolution 08-NQ/TW on “developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector.”

The resolution orientates and creates conditions for tourism to become a spearhead. The Government is mapping out an action program to implement Resolution 08.

At the conference, Nguyen Van Tuan, head of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, said tourism still had a lot of scope to grow and, would surge in the near future if there are incentives. However, tourism is not without problems, he admitted.

Tourism development is not commensurate with its potentials, strengths and expectations of society. Tourism products are not really attractive.

The quality of tourism services has not met the requirements. The effectiveness and efficiency of State management of tourism is not high.

The environment of tourism, food safety and traffic safety remain full of inadequacies. Tourism promotions are still short of resources.

Charge to promote tourism?

At the conference, Vu The Binh, vice chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said the association had decided on a series of concrete actions to exercise Resolution 08. 

Its members pledge not to bring cheap travel services so as to prevent Vietnam from becoming a cheap tourist destination.

Binh particularly emphasized the need to boost tourism promotions. Destination promotion is the responsibility of the State and local governments, while tour operators should take charge of the promotion of tourism products, he said.

“In many other countries, enterprises have to contribute to national tourism promotion, or else they will not enjoy the fruits of it,” Binh said.

Echoing this view, Nguyen Quang Lan, chairman of the Hanoi Tourism Association, said contributions from enterprises were vital. 

Moreover, for tourism promotion, there must be many representative offices of Vietnam’s tourism abroad.

Pham Ha, director of Luxury Travel, told the Daily that enterprises involved in outbound travel have directly or indirectly contributed to the promotion of tourism. For example, every time they attend a travel fair, enterprises must pay a sum of US$2,500-3,000.

On the contribution to the tourism promotion fund, Ha said that if the fund worked effectively, there would be no reason why businesses did not pay for it. 

Still, the promotion must benefit them with a rise in the number of visitors to Vietnam, so enterprises have income for fund contributions.

SGT