Sustainable development a key trend for tourism
13/4/20
The recently-issued strategy for Vietnam’s tourism
development to 2030 is expected to be a driving force for the industry in
weathering the storm posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Cong Thuong (Industry &
Trade) newspaper.
Approved by Prime
Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the strategy aims to develop tourism into a
spearhead economic sector with sustainable development that creates momentum for
other sectors.
Under the strategy,
Vietnam is to become one of the top 30 countries in terms of tourism
competitiveness by 2030. It hopes to attract at least 50 million foreign
visitors and 160 million domestic travelers each year, earn 3.1-3.2 trillion
VND (130-135 billion USD) in revenue, and post annual tourism growth of 11-12
percent over the next decade.
The global COVID-19
pandemic has taken a toll on multiple sectors, with tourism among the
hardest-hit.
Some experts,
however, believe the new strategy, which features clear targets and support
policies, will be a driving force and provide the opportunity for Vietnam’s
tourism industry to overcome the impacts of the outbreak.
The Cong Thuong
newspaper said the directions towards tourism growth set out in the strategy
match the current trend of sustainable development, as it specifies synchronous
and drastic solutions, including improving awareness among people and
businesses about ensuring visitors have a good impression of the country,
developing tourism infrastructure and human resources, diversifying markets and
products, boosting tourism promotions, and building brands.
Such solutions also
focus on creating an optimal business environment, assisting small and
medium-sized enterprises and households providing tourism services to acquire
digital skills and access to financial sources, facilitating visa granting,
developing large-scale and world-standard tourism complexes, and helping people
engage in community-based tourism.
Foreign arrivals to
Vietnam plunged 63.8 percent in March against February and 68.1 percent
year-on-year. The first quarter total stood at around 3.7 million, down 18.1
percent from the same period last year, according to the General Statistics
Office.
Meanwhile, the
World Tourism Organisation has projected that the number of foreign tourists
globally will fall by 1-3 percent this year rather than grow 3-4 percent as
forecast in January just prior to the outbreak./.
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Fewer tourists also meant less revenue in related services. Accommodation and catering services earned just 126.2 trillion VND over the last three months and travel services 7.8 trillion VND, down 9.6 percent and 27.8 percent, respectively, year-on-year.
Vietnam has targeted 20.5 million foreign arrivals in 2020. Hanoi hoped to attract 31.88 million visitors in total and Ninh Binh, host of National Tourism Year 2020, anticipated 7.78 million.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Vietnam’s tourism sector is forecast to endure a host of ongoing difficulties, making the targets of most localities and the country as a whole virtually unachievable.
The World Tourism Organisation has projected that the number of foreign tourist arrivals globally will fall by 1-3 percent this year, rather than grow 3-4 percent as forecast in January just before the outbreak.
Hope for a better future for Vietnamese tourism!
Vietnam’s reliance on local tourists, who accounted for 82.5 percent of travel in 2019, and the Chinese and the Republic of Korean markets could turn out to be an advantage, as these are expected to be some of the first who are able to travel again.
The HCM City Department of Tourism has estimated that the city’s tourism industry suffered losses worth close to 10 trillion VND (426.2 million USD) in the first quarter of this year due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The model village is meant to be one of the leading tourism, entertainment and leisure centres in the country.
It will help fulfil the province’s tourism potential, which is based on its diversity of cultures, traditions and natural resources and key agricultural produce.
We need a new approach to develop tourism sector!
As academics specializing in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, we have trained and advised dozens of companies in their journey towards sustainable businesses.
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