Decision No. 2473/QD-TTg of December 30, 2011, approving the strategy for development of Vietnam's tourism through 2020, with a vision toward 2030

DECISION

APPROVING THE STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM'S TOURISM THROUGH 2020, WITH A VISION TOWARD 2030

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government:

Pursuant to the June 27, 2005 Tourism Law;

At the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the strategy for development of Vietnam's tourism through 2020, with a vision toward 2030, with the following principal contents:

1. Viewpoints

a/ To develop tourism into a spearhead industry, accounting for an increasingly high share in GDP and driving socio-economic development.

b/ To develop a professionalism- and modernity-oriented tourism with focuses and priorities; to attach importance to in-depth, quality, and effective development of tourism with well-known brands and competitiveness.

c/ To develop domestic and international tourism simultaneously; to attach importance to inbound international tourism while enhancing administration of outbound tourism.

d/ To develop sustainable tourism in close association with conserving and promoting national cultural values, preserving landscape and protecting the environment, assuring security, national defense and social order and security.

e/ To step up socialization to mobilize all domestic and overseas resources for investment in tourism development; to bring into the fullest play national potential and advantages in natural factors and national culture as well as typical strengths of areas and regions across the country; to promote association in tourism development.

2. Objectives

a/ General objectives

By 2020, tourism will become a spearhead industry with professional services, a relatively synchronous and modern physical and technical infrastructure system, and quality, diverse and branded products deeply imbued with traditional cultural identity and competitive with other countries in the region and the world.

To strive for the target that Vietnam will become a country with a developed tourism industry by 2030.

b/ Specific objectives

- The average growth rate of tourism will reach 11.5-12%/year during 2011 -2020;

- By 2015, Vietnam will receive 7-7.5 million international tourist arrivals and have 36-37 million domestic tourist arrivals; total revenue from tourists will reach USD 10-11 billion, accounting for 5.5-6% of national GDP; have a total of 390.000 accommodation rooms, 30-35% of which will reach standards of three to five stars; and create 2.2 million jobs, including 620,000 directly engaged in tourist activities.

- By 2020, Vietnam will receive 10-10.5 million international tourist arrivals and have 47-48 million domestic tourist arrivals; total revenue from tourists will reach USD 18-19 billion, accounting for 6.5-7% of national GDP; have a total of 580,000 accommodation rooms, 35-40% of which will reach standards of three to five stars; and create 3 million jobs, including 870,000 directly engaged in tourist activities.

- By 2030, total revenue from tourists will double that of 2020.

3. Solutions

a/ Development of tourist products

- To develop the system of quality, unique, diverse and synchronous high added-value tourist products to meet domestic and international tourists' needs; to develop "green" tourist products respecting natural elements and local culture.

- To plan and invest in the development of tourist products based on prominent strengths and attractive tourist resources; to concentrate on and prioritize the development of marine, island, cultural and ecological tourist products; to step by step form systems of national tourist zones, routes and points; local tourist routes and points, and tourist cities.

- To bring into play the strengths and promote alignment of different areas, regions and localities toward forming tourist products typical of different tourist regions:

+ The northern midland and mountainous region, embracing Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Lang Son and Bac Giang provinces. Typical tourist products include cultural and ecological tourism combined with exploring cultural traits of ethnic minority groups.

+ The Red River delta and northeastern coastal region, covering Hanoi and Hai Phong cities and Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Ha Nam, Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh and Quang Ninh provinces. Typical tourist products include sea tours, cultural tourist sites with values of a wet rice civilization and traditional lifestyles of the northern plain, city tours and MICE tourism.

+ The northern central region, embracing Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces. Typical tourist products include sightseeing tours to cultural and natural world heritage sites, sea tours, eco-tours to explore cultural and historical relics.

+ The southern central coastal region, embracing Da Nang city and Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa. Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces. Typical tourist products include coastal and island tourist resorts associated with exploring relics and marine culture and cuisines.

+ The Central Highlands region, embracing Kon Turn, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces. Typical tourist products include eco-tourism, cultural tourism with unique cultural values of Central Highlands ethnic groups.

+ The southeastern region, embracing Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc and Tay Ninh provinces. Typical tourist products include city tours, MICE tourism, tours to explore cultural and historical relics, tourist resorts and eco-marine and island tourism.

+ The Mekong River delta region, embracing Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Tien Giang and Hau Giang provinces and Can Tho city. Typical tourist products include eco-tourism, river and garden culture, tourist resorts, eco-marine and island tourism and MICE tourism.

b/ Development of the infrastructure system and physical and technical foundations for tourism

- To plan and invest in developing synchronous transport, information, communication, energy; water supply and drainage and environmental protection infrastructure systems to meet tourism development requirements; to modernize public mass transit networks; to plan public space.

- To upgrade cultural, health and educational infrastructure facilities, such as museums, theaters, healthcare establishments and educational and training institutions, with adequate conditions and amenities to serve tourist needs.

- To develop physical and technical tourist facilities which are of quality, modern, well-furnished and synchronous to cater for tourist needs, including systems of tourist zones and sites, tourist accommodation establishments, restaurants and tourist information and counseling centers, booking, travel agency and guiding offices, vehicle and tourist transport service establishments, sightseeing tour service establishments, entertainment, playing, leisure, sports and conference and other facilities.

c/ Training and development of human resources for tourism

- To develop human resources for tourism who are good in quality, sufficient in quantity and balanced in occupations and training levels to meet requirements of tourism development and international integration.

- To develop a network of strong tourism training institutions with complete and modem physical and technical foundations and equipment for training activities; to standardize the quality of tourism trainers and framework tourism training materials.

- To elaborate and implement strategies, master plans and plans on development of human resources for tourism to meet tourism development demands of each period and each region and area in the country; to step by step standardize human resources of the sector in accordance with regional and international standards, attaching special importance to managerial personnel and skilled workforce.

- To diversify training methods and encourage on-site training and self-training to meet enterprises' needs.

d/ Tourist market development and promotion and advertisement of tourist brands

- Development of tourist markets:

+ To focus on selectively attracting big-spending and long-staying tourists.

+ To strongly develop domestic tourist markets, attaching importance to resort, entertainment and recreation, weekend and shopping tourists.

+ To strongly attract international tourists from Northeast Asia (China, Japan and Republic of Korea), Southeast Asia and the Pacific (Singapore, Malaysia. Indonesia. Thailand and Australia); Western Europe (France. Germany, the U K and the Netherlands); Northern Europe: North America (the US and Canada) and Eastern Europe (Russia and Ukraine); and to attract more tourists from new markets like the Middle East, India, etc.

- Tourism promotion and advertisement:

+ To step up tourism promotion and advertisement in a professional manner, aiming at target markets, taking tourist products and brands as the center; and advertising tourism in combination with promoting the national image.

+ To develop and implement tourism promotion and advertisement programs and plans at home and abroad in flexible forms in each period to meet the set objectives; to associate tourism promotion with trade promotion, investment promotion, diplomacy and culture.

- Tourist brand development:

+ To concentrate on developing the national tourist brand on the basis of developing regional and local tourist brands, travel company brands and tourist product brands; to attach importance to developing tourist brands competitive in the region and the world.

+To increase coordination among all sectors, levels and localities in building and developing tourist brands to ensure uniformity.

e/ Tourist development investment and policies

- The State shall adopt policies to prioritize and support investment in tourism infrastructure, human resource training, and promotion, advertisement and development of tourist brands, align and mobilize resources for concentrated investment in raising the capacity and quality of tourist services and forming some tourist service centers of regional and international caliber.

- To prioritize and concentrate investment in developing national tourist zones and sites and tourist cities; tourist zones, routes and sites in localities with socio-economic difficulties and in remote and deep-lying areas with tourist development potential.

- To pursue the sustainable development policy; to introduce incentives for the development of eco-tourism, green, community and responsible tourism.

- To encourage socialization in tourism, attracting resources at home and abroad for developing tourism infrastructure and physical and technical infrastructure facilities and human resources, and advertising and promoting tourism.

e/ International cooperation on tourism

- To actively and effectively implement concluded bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreements.

- To promote international cooperation on tourism with other countries and international organizations, linking the Vietnamese tourist market with regional and international ones.

- To expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation relations, and make use of the assistance from other countries and international organizations in boosting the development and integration of Vietnam's tourism and enhancing the Vietnamese image and tourist stance in the international arena.

g/ Slate administration of tourism

- To perfect institutions, mechanisms and policies on and related to tourism; to study, amend and supplement the Tourism Law to create a more favorable legal environment for tourism development.

- To build capacity for central and local state administration agencies in charge of tourism to meet development requirements; to increase coordination and association between tourism and other sectors and among regions, areas and localities to develop tourism.

- To properly formulate tourism development strategies and master plans which are of quality and highly feasible. The State shall concentrate on planning and investing in the development of national tourist regions, zones and sites and tourist cities.

- To make statistics and supervise and manage flows and targets of outbound tourists in relation to constantly increasing quality in domestic tourist activities.

- To step up the application of the system of sectoral standards; to promote examination and supervision to control and maintain the quality of tourist products and services; to form a system of accreditation, evaluation and management of the quality of the tourist sector, thereby creating a fair competitive environment within the sector.

- To increase decentralization in administration work, ensure the macro-administration role of the State while promoting enterprises' proactiveness and dynamism and active participation of the community. To raise the role and responsibility of local administrations in ensuring a civilized environment, security, social order and safety in tourist zones and sites.

- To further renew state-owned tourist enterprises toward equitizing all of their state capital portions; to encourage development of travel companies with potential and strong brands; to attach importance to developing small- and medium-sized enterprises, especially households, in association with developing community tourism and tourism in rural, deep-lying and remote areas.

- To promote research and application of advanced science and technology to tourism administration and business; to train human resources for tourism, and carry out market research and tourist promotion and advertisement activities.

- To further raise awareness of all levels, sectors and the entire society about the position and role of tourism for national socio-economic development; to raise social and environmental responsibility in all tourist activities.

4. Action programs

a/ Perfection of institutions, mechanisms and policies and raising of the capacity of state administration of tourism

- To review, amend, supplement and perfect provisions of the Tourism Law and related legal documents.

- To perfect institutions, mechanisms, policies and regulations to promote tourism development.

- To perfect the apparatus of state administration of tourism from the central to local level, including formation of regional-level tourism development organizations.

- To perfect the system of standards and technical regulations on tourism.

- To increase training and retraining to raise the capacity of state administration of tourism at all levels.

b/ Elaboration of tourism development strategies on:

- Quality of development of Vietnamese tourist brands.

- Tourist marketing.

- Development of human resources for tourism.

c/ Tourist development planning and investment

- Master plan on development of Vietnam's tourism through 2020, with a vision toward 2030.

- Master plan on development of tourist regions through 2020, with a vision toward 2030.

- Planning and investment in the development of national tourist zones and sites and tourist cities.

- Master plan on development of provincial-level tourism through 2020, with a vision toward 2030.

- Program on associated development of inter-provincial tourism, regional tourism and intra-regional tourism.

d/ Implementation of tourism development programs and schemes

- Program on administration of tourist quality.

- Program on raising of awareness about tourism and civilized manners in tourism.

- Program on support for investment in tourism infrastructure development.

- National action program on tourism.

- National program on tourism promotion.

- Program on survey, evaluation, classification and building of a database on tourist resources.

- Program on application of tourist satellite accounts.

- Thematic tourism development schemes: scheme on development of tourism on Vietnam's sea, islands and coastal areas through 2020; scheme on tourism development in border provinces; scheme on development of community tourism associated with hunger elimination and poverty reduction and rural economic restructuring.

- Action program on adaption to climate change in tourism.

Article 2. Organization of the strategy implementation

1. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors and provincial-level People's Committees in, organizing the implementation of this strategy; guide, examine and summarize the strategy implementation and periodically report thereon to the Prime Minister; and hold a preliminary review by the end of 2015 and a final review by the end of 2020.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People's Committees shall, within the scope of their functions, tasks and powers, coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in realizing the objectives of the strategy, ensuring consistency and synchrony with the implementation of sectoral and local socio-economic development plans.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and chairpersons of provincial-level People's Committees shall implement this Decision.-