The campaign “ExcitingVietnam: Vietnam – A safe, friendly and attractive destination” aims tofurther tourism development while affirming the country always welcomeinternational tourists around the world, Deputy Minister of Culture,Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan said.
It focuses on 14 activities,including a fact-finding tour for domestic and foreign reporters tosome key destinations from July 9-15 so that they can see with their owneyes tourism activities in the country.
The sector also welcomesdelegations of foreign travel agencies from the country’s key andpromising markets such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, India,Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, France and the US. The scale ofpromotional activities in major markets will be expanded while linkageswith regional countries will be strengthened under the campaign.
Althoughfacing difficulties and challenges, the tourism sector has maintained astable growth, raking in 200 trillion VND (9.5 billion USD) fromwelcoming 7.57 million foreign visitors and 32.5 million localholiday-makers in 2013, Tuan said.
In the first six months ofthis year, the sector served 4.28 million foreigners, up 21 percent, and23.4 million local tourists, earning 125 trillion VND (5.87 billionVND).
However, tensions in the East Sea caused by China’s illegaldeployment of its drilling rig Haiyang Shiyou-981 in Vietnam’sexclusive economic zone and continental shelfs since early May haveaffected Vietnam tourism through a reduction in the number of Chinesevisitors in May and June, according to Nguyen Manh Cuong, DeputyDirector of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Headded that however, the aggregate number of Chinese tourists in thefirst six months still showed a year-on-year rise of 34 percent.
Cuongaffirmed that the sector still maintains normal operations to welcomeforeign travellers, adding promotion activities are being carried out inforeign markets, including China, as planned.
Regarding sea andisland tourism development plan, Deputy Minister Tuan said the countryhas great potential in the area with long coastline and beautifulbeaches, and the tourism sector has developed many sea and island tours.
Besides, sea liner tourism is thriving, but it faces some difficulties such as ports for large ships, he said.
TheChan May port in central Thua Thien-Hue province has been selected forupgrading with the aim to welcome 6,000-passenger-capacity ships, herevealed.-VNA