The European Union will provide 11 million EUR for a 12 million EUR project that helps develop environmentally and socially responsible tourism (ESRT project) in Vietnam, with the balance of funds to come from the Vietnamese Government.

In the framework of the project, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism held a conference on the implementation of the Tourism Law and the building of the Vietnam Tourism Occupational Skill Standard System (VTOS) on Feb. 29 in the central city of Da Nang . Representatives from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and tourism training centres in the central region and the Central Highlands attended the event.

At the conference, representatives said individuals and organisations in the tourism sector fail to clearly understand the Tourism Law and standards of vocational skills. They also suggested that Vietnam ’s Tourism Law needs to be revised in conformity with the country’s present and future situation, with the aim of boosting Vietnam ’s tourism activities.

As part of the Vietnamese Tourism Development Strategy, the ESRT project focuses on promoting tourism services which engage responsibly with society and the environment.

The project will be implemented in the 2011-2015 period, with key activities in policy support, institutional strengthening and vocational training./.