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Vietnam boosts bid to bring in
more tourists, investment from abroad
30 April, 2007
Vietnam is stepping up its efforts to
increase the number of tourists from
overseas.
The Vietnam National Administration of
Tourism (VNAT) is all set to intensify
implementation of cooperative,
bilateral agreements signed with
Belgium, Spain and Turkey to increase
overseas promotion,.
VNAT chairman Hoang Tuan Anh, while
announcing domestic tourism festivals
and overseas tourism promotion plans
for 2007, aid that, in order to
enhance tourism promotion overseas,
his organisation is coordinated
closely with airlines and the foreign
relations and culture and information
sectors.
The Vietnam National Administration of
Tourism is also vigorously preparing
to participate in forthcoming
international tourism events. It is
also planning a series of domestic
tourism festivals, including the Ha
Long-Quang Ninh Tourism Festival, the
100th anniversary festivals of Sam Son
and Cua Lo beaches, the Quang Tri
Return-to-the-Roots Festival and the
Da Lat Flower Festival.
According to the VNAT chairman, there
are factors that still threaten the
development of the tourism sector in
Vietnam. The tourism sector, he said,
needed to improve the spread of
information on events through
brochures and magazines as well as the
real services provided to tourists
Hoang Tuan Anh said efforts were being
made to raise investment in the
training of tourism professionals and
to improve local infrastructure in
resort areas. Vietnam is inviting both
domestic and foreign investment to
build high-quality resorts and hotels.
Hygiene and security conditions at
tourism facilities would be improved
and the menace of street vendors and
touts would be checked.
The Vietnam National Administration of
Tourism would focus on developing new
markets with Russia, South Korea and
Japan, which are seen as
high-potential markets with wealthy
travelers.
Meanwhile, the number of foreign
visitors to Vietnam reached over 1.1
million in the first quarter of 2007 –
an increase 13.7% over the same period
in 2006, representing 27.8% of the
target of 2007.
The first quarter of 2007 also
witnessed record number of visitors
traveling by air thanks to the growth
of budget airlines in Vietnam.
Tourists from abroad included those
from South Korea (142,500 visitors –
an increase of 17.7%); the United
States (123,200 visitors – an increase
of 12%); Japan (118,600 visitors – an
increase of 31.4%); and France (45,000
visitors – a rise of 33.8%).
Vietnam also saw a rapid rise in the
number of tourists from the
neighbouring South-East Asian
countries of Thailand, Malaysia and
Singapore.
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