HANOI: :Việt Nam wants to make tourism a key economic sector by 2020 that creates a driving force for the development of other sectors.
The country expects to attract 17-20 million foreign visitors and 82 million domestic ones by then. Visitors are expected to spend US$35 billion in the country in 2020, on-the-spot exports through tourism are expected to reach $20 billion and the sector is hoped to create jobs for four million people including 1.6 million direct jobs.
Such ambitious goals are part of a Politburo resolution on developing tourism into a key economic sector, issued early this year.
Nguyễn Văn Tuấn, General Director of National Administration of Tourism, told a workshop on restructuring Việt Nam’s tourism sector yesterday that the resolution created motivation for the sector’s development and it also helped change public awareness about tourism as not a single sector but a collective one relating to other sectors.
He said that last year, Việt Nam welcomed 10 million foreign visitors and the World Tourism Organisation ranked it in top ten countries with highest tourism growth globally.
In 2017, Việt Nam expected to host 13 million foreign visitors and it was ranked in top six countries with highest tourism growth, Tuấn said, adding that the expectation would likely become real and the National Administration of Tourism would greet the 13 millionth visitor next week. “The tourism sector made achievements but these are still modest compared to Việt Nam’s tourism potential and expectations as well as those made by neighbouring countries,” Tuấn said.
“Restructuring is an urgent need for Việt Nam’s tourism sector,” Tuấn said, noting six issues that need restructuring – resources and funding for tourism, tourism products, developing tourism markets, tourism companies, human resources for tourism and management.
Last year, Việt Nam received 10 million foreign visitors but Thailand received 32.6 million, Malaysia 26.8 million, Singapore 16.4 million and Hong Kong 26.7 million.
Cambodia, with a population of about 15 million people, received 5 million foreign visitors. This means a neighbouring country with a population a sixth as big as Việt Nam has welcomed half as many visitors.
