National online conference on rapid and sustainable tourism development

On the morning of November 15, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a national online conference on rapid and sustainable tourism development with 63 People's Committees of provinces and cities nationwide. Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, leaders of relevant ministries and branches, and leaders of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities.

Government Online Conference on Sustainable Fast Tourism Development — ***Overview of the conference at Ha Nam bridge.***

Attending the conference at Ha Nam bridge point were comrade Nguyen Duc Vuong, Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, leaders of relevant Departments and branches.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, TTCP emphasized: Tourism is identified as a key economic sector according to Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017 of the Politburo, contributing significantly to creating jobs and livelihoods for people, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty, attracting investment, promoting growth and restructuring the economy, preserving and promoting traditional, historical and cultural values of the nation, improving the material and spiritual life of the people. At the same time, tourism is a practical and effective bridge of international exchange, for tourists from all over the world to visit, experience, understand more, share more, and love more the country, culture and people of Vietnam.

The Prime Minister highlighted the advantages and difficulties affecting tourism development in the first months of 2023. According to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, although the total number of international tourists reached about 10 million and domestic tourists reached 99 million, the number of international tourists in the first 10 months of 2023 was only 69% compared to the same period in 2019 (before the Covid-19 pandemic). Domestic tourists, after a period of strong growth in 2022, are showing signs of slowing down. The tourism industry is facing many challenges, obstacles, and many problems that have lasted for many years and many terms and have not been resolved.

To develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector in accordance with the direction of the Politburo (Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017); effectively implement the Government's Resolution on key tasks and solutions to accelerate recovery and tourism development, the Prime Minister requested the Conference to exchange and discuss to find solutions to short-term and long-term problems; find answers to a number of key issues for the Vietnamese tourism industry to develop quickly and sustainably.

Reporting on the current status of tourism activities in the past time and the orientation and solutions for tourism development in the coming time, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said: After Vietnam Tourism fully opened to international visitors in the new normal conditions, in 2022, total revenue from tourists is estimated at 495,000 billion VND, an increase of 2.75 times over the same period in 2021, domestic tourists reached over 100 million. In the first 10 months of 2023, the total number of international visitors to Vietnam reached more than 9.97 million, domestic visitors reached 98.7 million, total revenue from tourists reached 582.6 trillion VND.

Vietnam Tourism received 54 Awards at the 2023 Asia Pacific Regional Awards Ceremony. Tourism promotion and digital transformation activities in tourism continue to be maintained and promoted. However, the recovery rate of international tourists remains low; tourism promotion and advertising activities have not yet met the requirements of frequency and coverage in key markets, and tourism promotion activities have not been organized on a national scale and scale.

In the context of complex and unpredictable developments such as constantly changing customer needs, requiring increasingly high product quality, experience, diversity and uniqueness; the recovery of tourism businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic is still slow... Vietnam tourism strives to achieve the goal of welcoming 18 million international visitors and 130 million domestic visitors by 2025, and 35 million international visitors and 160 million domestic visitors by 2030. Vietnam tourism needs to truly innovate its thinking and approach with creative, breakthrough, synchronous and effective measures; implement "close linkage, smooth coordination, comprehensive cooperation"

At the conference, many opinions from associations, businesses, researchers, experts, ministries, branches and localities focused on exchanging and proposing breakthrough, specific and feasible solutions to remove difficulties, overcome challenges, take advantage of opportunities, create favorable conditions for Vietnam's tourism to develop rapidly and sustainably; raise institutional issues, mechanisms, policies, mobilize resources to develop infrastructure, brands, train human resources to meet development requirements; improve the governance capacity of the country, each locality and each enterprise in accordance with new conditions; coordination work of ministries, branches, localities, enterprises in the tourism industry and enterprises outside the tourism industry...

Concluding the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assigned the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to preside over and coordinate with the Government Office and relevant agencies to seriously absorb the opinions expressed at the conference. Emphasizing the guiding viewpoint on tourism development, it is necessary to look directly at the shortcomings and limitations to find solutions. The Prime Minister said that tourism development must be placed in the overall context of socio-economic development, with the role of a spearhead economic sector; Tourism development is a common responsibility of the entire political system, of all levels, sectors and the whole society under the leadership and close direction of Party committees at all levels, the unified management of the State; strongly promoting the driving role of businesses and communities...

Implementing Resolution 08 of the Politburo, Resolution 82 of the Government dated May 18, 2023 on key tasks and solutions to accelerate recovery, accelerate effective and sustainable tourism development according to the motto that products must be unique, services must be professional, procedures must be convenient and simple, prices must be competitive, the environment must be clean and beautiful, destinations must be safe, civilized and friendly, the Prime Minister requested the sectors of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Education and Training, the People's Committees of provinces and cities and the Tourism Association... to seriously implement a number of key tasks: Raising awareness, importance and value of the tourism industry so that relevant entities must proactively and actively coordinate effectively in tourism development; develop a comprehensive, fast, sustainable and highly effective tourism ecosystem; Building a unique Vietnamese tourism brand based on human resources, nature, historical and cultural traditions; Close and effective coordination and connection between businesses and related entities to jointly develop the tourism industry, between localities, between the State and the private sector, between sectors, levels and localities. Building a national and global tourism value chain. There must be new methods and approaches to thinking in tourism development in the direction of open institutions, smooth traffic, smart management to ensure resources for infrastructure development, human resources... Focus on reviewing, promptly updating, amending and supplementing mechanisms, policies and regulations on tourism in a synchronous, modern and integrated direction, creating favorable conditions for both domestic and international tourists; Promoting digital transformation, forming and developing a smart tourism ecosystem in Vietnam; Strengthen international cooperation, especially with large, multinational tourism corporations and groups in promoting connections and attracting large, potential tourist markets according to the principle of "harmonized benefits and shared risks"...

Jiangnan

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