EIU: Vietnam determined to promote tourism

London (VNA) – Vietnam has deployed drastic measures to boost tourism in an effort to turn it into an important pillar of the economy, according to an analysis of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) under the UK-based Economist Group released on September 3.  

It highlights the attractive landscapes across Vietnam as well as the nation’s initiative on visa exemption for tourists from the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy until the middle of 2017 to lure more international tourists.

The online application for visa from 2017 is one of the efforts to realise the country’s target of earning 20 billion USD in tourism revenues by 2020, making up 10-12 percent of the GDP.

The international terminal of the Noi Bai International Airport and new bridges spanning the Red River that help shorten travelling time to inner Hanoi have provided more favourable conditions for holiday-makers.

However, EIU also pointed out numerous challenges facing Vietnam in fulfilling its target, including poor infrastructure and lack of connection between a number of provinces and cities in promoting tourism.

In the first half this year, Vietnam lured 5.6 million international visitors, up 24 percent from the same period last year. The figure is expected to reach 15 million by 2020.-VNA