Forum seeks ways to restore international tourism

forum seeks ways to restore international tourism picture 1 — Delegates discuss solutions for international tourism rebound at the event (Photo: VNA)

The forum took place as part of the 16th Ho Chi Minh City International Tourism Expo (ITE HCMC 2022) which is getting underway in the southern city.

Addressing the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasised that many businesses have made every effort to innovate their tourism products and services, as well as to deploy infrastructure upgrades during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to anticipate the return of visitors in large numbers.

“Though the pandemic is not over yet, we can confidently implement solutions to expand and further develop tourism in the new context,” said Dam.

He urged localities to speed up the implementation of support packages for workers, assist small enterprises operating in the tourism industry, and conduct reviews of tourism development policies in a bid to ensure sustainable development.

Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung revealed that there are bright prospects ahead for Vietnamese tourism to rebound, pointing out Vietnam has welcomed over 1.4 million foreign arrivals during the eight-month period, with most of them coming from the Republic of Korea, the United States, Japan, Taiwan (China), Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, Germany, and France.

The total number of domestic tourists throughout the reviewed period reached roughly 79.8 million, earning an estimated revenue of VND356,600 trillion.

Vietnam continues to be among the leading destinations with the highest growth rates in the world, ranging between 50% and 75%, while the volume of international searches for Vietnamese tourism in July increased by more than 1,200% compared to the same period from last year.

Amid fierce competition among destinations globally, Vietnam must devise unique strategies and products in line with the latest in the post-COVID-19 period, Minister Hung said, noting that the development of MICE tourism represents a key orientation for the Vietnamese tourism industry until 2025 as it seeks to attract both local and foreign arrivals.

Ha Van Sieu, deputy general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), pointed out that with a number of the world’s natural heritage sites, pristine beaches, upgraded infrastructure, a system featuring world-class hotels and resorts, and political stability, Vietnam is considered a safe and attractive destination.

Experts outlined that popular destinations for the development of MICE tourism include Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, and Ho Chi Minh City, assessing that this tourism type should be associated with diverse tourism products such as sea and island tourism, cultural tourism, ecotourism, and urban tourism.

They emphasised the necessity of seeking to strengthen connectivity between the business community and local authorities, thereby organising many regional and international events to further accelerate the development of MICE tourism in the future.