Vietnam to beef up security

HANOI, 10 April 2014: Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam called for more cooperation between tourism agencies and organisations in order to achieve long-term goals to position the country as a major tourism gateway to ASEAN.
He said ministries, agencies, associations and every Vietnamese citizen needed to see the importance of developing Vietnam’s tourism brand, while making the country an attractive, safe and friendly destination for decades to come.
“Tourism sector staff need to contribute to the success of tourism products and increase customer satisfaction as a key objective so the country can reach its goals.”
By 2020, tourism should be a major industry and one that will see Vietnam become a popular gateway to neighbouring countries.
This year, the priority will be to deliver security for visitors, he said.
He added that the objective was to present Vietnam as a peaceful, secure and safe destination for all visitors to ASEAN.
“It is necessary to have law enforcement to ensure security and a healthy environment for visitors. Vietnam should also establish a Tourism Police Force, particularly in major cities that attract tourists.”
There are also moves to crackdown on unregistered tour companies.
The country targets 8 million foreign tourists this year, while domestic trips will reach 48 million. Tourism revenue will generate US$10.34 billion by year end.
Last year, the country welcomed 7.5 international tourists and 35 million domestic visitors with a revenue of US$9.17 billion.

Sourced: ttrweekly