APEC plays an important role in developing Vietnam’s tourism market as more than three fourths of foreign visitors coming to Vietnam annually are from APEC member economies. Initiatives put forward by Vietnam at the recent APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in central Hoi An town are expected to open new prospects for the tourism sector.
According to Pham Quang Hung, Head of the International Cooperation Department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the number of visitors from the Asia-Pacific region to Vietnam has increased considerably year on year. Statistics from the VNAT showed that Vietnam welcomed 2.9 million foreign visitors in 2005, including 2.2 million from APEC member economies. In the past three quarters of this year, more than 75 percent of a total of 2.8 million foreign visitors to Vietnam were from APEC member economies.
To boost the growth of this lucrative market and promote cooperation activities and exchanges among member economies, Vietnam put forward several initiatives at the recent APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting (TMM) in Hoi An, which were included in the Hoi An Declaration on Promoting APEC Tourism Cooperation. These initiatives included encouraging the hosting of the APEC Tourism Fair on the sidelines of APEC important events, the APEC Tourism-Investment Forum on the sidelines of the TMM, and the opening of tours by air to link World Cultural Heritage sites of all APEC member economies.
Mr Hung said the three initiatives aim to raise the image and create a common trademark for the tourism sector in the region. All APEC member countries, particularly businesses running tourism services can join initiatives as they will have the chance to meet and share information about tourism policies and markets.
Vietnam’s initiatives have received an active response from participating delegates. An Australian representative said that his country will organise the APEC Tourism Fair and its related events on the sidelines of the APEC Tourism Working Group slated for May 2007. A Japanese representative also said Japan will host the APEC Tourism Fair and the APEC Tourism-Investment Forum by 2010 and upgrade them to regional events of high magnitude rather than normal meetings.
To implement these initiatives, it requires a great deal of effort from the Government, the tourism sector and tourism businesses themselves to meet all necessary technical and physical conditions. According to Mr Hung, Vietnam should increase investment in integration activities and pay more attention to information dissemination and promotion activities. In addition, tourism policies should be transparent and conform to international practices. For tourism businesses, Mr Hung said, they should enhance their management skills and devise long-term development strategies.
