ViceChairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen made the request duringa conference on January 11 launching key tasks of the city’s tourism sector for2018.
Apartfrom existing products, he suggested developing MICE (Meeting, Incentives,Conventions, and Exhibitions), cruise, community-based, agricultural,ecological tourism, and art performances.
Tuyencalled attention to ensuring safety of tourists, building Ho Chi Minh City intoa safe and friendly destination and urging each citizen to serve as a tourismambassador of the city.
Onhigh-quality workforce training, he proposed the municipal Department ofTourism invite foreign experts and organisations to the city to offerhospitality training up to international standards.
LaQuoc Khanh, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, said themunicipal tourism sector welcomed over 6.38 million foreign visitors and 24.9million domestic ones in 2017, earning in excess of 115.97 trillion VND (5.15billion USD).
In2018, the sector will strive to lure 7.5-8 million foreign holidaymakers and 29million others at home, raking in 138 trillion VND, up 16.9 percent.
Itwill also improve the quality of existing tourist products, complete thestrategy and master plan on tourism development till 2030, and seriously abideby the Tourism Law 2017.
NguyenQuoc Ky, Vietravel General Director, said the sector should rearrange keytourist products as well as develop cultural tourism in communities, thereby enablingvisitors to understand more about local lives and culture.-VNA