The tourism sector organised successfully the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2019 in Ha Long city in the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The number of international visitors to Vietnam in the first six months of 2019 was estimated at 8.5 million, up 7.5 percent compared to the same period last year, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said at a press conference on July 9.
In January-June, the tourism sector grossed 338.2 trillion VND (14.5 billion USD) in revenues, a year-on-year rise of 8.4 percent, the VNAT reported.
Vu Quoc Tri, chief of office at the VNAT, said the tourism industry deployed a number of measures to maintain the growth of domestic and overseas tourists in the six-month period.
He added that the VNAT also completed and submitted to the Prime Minister a strategy for Vietnam’s tourism development through 2030, with a vision to 2050 and a scheme on rural tourism development in association with building new rural areas.
The sector organised successfully the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2019 with over 50 events and took advantage of the country’s hosting the second summit between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the US to promote the image of Vietnam.
The VNAT participated in six international tourism fairs and organised eight road shows in ASEAN countries, China, Russia, and the Republic of Korea (RoK) as well as opened the first tourism promotion representative office in the RoK under the public-private partnership model.
It also assisted a number of localities such as Cao Bang, Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Khanh Hoa in organising tourism promotion events and developing tourism products, according to Tri.
However, besides the achievements, shortcomings remain in tourism activities such as ensuring security, safety and environmental hygiene, especially during festivals and tourism high season, he said.
In the remainder of 2019, Vietnam aims to maintain the growth of domestic and international tourists to realise the yearly target of 17.5-18 million foreign visitors and 85 million domestic travellers. The total revenues from tourism are expected to reach 700 trillion VND (30.1 billion USD).
Tri said the VNAT will host an event to honour leading tourism businesses. It will continue improving the management of destinations and quality of tourism services and tour guides, he added.
The administration will also coordinate with localities to organise the International Travel Expo (ITE) in Ho Chi Minh City and the National Tourism Year 2019 in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, and prepare for the National Tourism Year 2020 in the northern province of Ninh Binh.
The VNAT plans to proactively promote the Formula One (F1) racing car to be held in Hanoi in April 2020, and the ASEAN Year 2020 when Vietnam will serve as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).-VNA
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