(NLDO) - Vietnam tourism has enough potential and advantages. If properly invested, it will not only reach 35 million international visitors by 2030 but could reach more than...
By 2025, the industry aims to fully recover to pre-COVID-19 levels; welcome 22-23 million international visitors; 120-130 million domestic visitors and directly contribute 6%-8% to GDP.
Reporter of Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper talked with Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietravel Group (in both aviation and tourism business), about solutions for Vietnam's tourism industry to break through, become a key economic sector and compete with Thailand...
* Reporter : Tourism is identified as a key economic sector. Up to now, what stage do you think this journey has reached?
- Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky : Resolution 08-NQ/TW in 2017 of the Politburo on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector together with the Tourism Law in 2017 paved the way for a period of tourism development that can be said to be "miraculous" in 2018-2019.
During that period, tourism's contribution to GDP growth increased from about 6% to more than 9%. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the development of the "smokeless" industry in the following years.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky
In general, although tourism has been negatively affected by the pandemic in recent years, it is also an industry that has recovered quickly. In 2024, the tourism industry will achieve the target of welcoming about 17-18 million international visitors, equivalent to before the pandemic and contributing about 6.6% -7% to GDP growth. However, to become a key economic sector, tourism must contribute about 12% -15% to economic growth.
In the Southeast Asia region, Thailand - a destination that directly competes with Vietnam in attracting international visitors - recorded the tourism industry's contribution to GDP at more than 20%, Cambodia at about 25%... As for Vietnam, although tourism development is identified as a key economic sector, receiving attention and investment, the development of this industry has not met expectations.
* So tourism still needs bigger decisions?
- That's right! Although tourism has been identified as a spearhead, invested in and given attention, compared to other countries and the world, compared to the development requirements to compete in the region, it is still at the bottom.
This requires the tourism industry to readjust and accelerate even more strongly.
Although tourism development is identified as a key economic sector, receiving attention and investment, the development of this sector has not met expectations.
After COVID-19, society is shifting to a fast, low-touch, safe society, so the assessments and assessments before 2019 are no longer appropriate. The world is changing rapidly and if we do not change in time and do not create a guiding premise, we will easily fall behind. At this time, we need to calculate to build and readjust policies. A new resolution is needed not only for the period from now until 2035 but also until 2045 - the 100th anniversary of the founding of the country.
* As you say, do we need specific policies for the tourism industry to create a breakthrough?
- Policies must not only be superior but also suitable to the characteristics of a comprehensive economic sector, having a spillover effect on many other economic sectors. It is necessary to amend the 2017 Tourism Law and add a new resolution to replace Resolution 08 after 7 years with many changes in both the domestic and international markets. After 7 years, many regulations have become outdated and inappropriate; many businesses are stuck because of outdated regulations.
In this new era, it is necessary to have a long-term strategy for developing Vietnam tourism to realize the dream. Simply put, if we envision tourism as a key industry, we must "draw" the path, give directions and build plans to implement it.
* If you were to give advice on policy decisions, as a business operating in both the aviation and tourism sectors, and as someone who has been involved in the industry for many years, what would you suggest?
- We need to address three main issues: one is policy; two is resources and three is business.
Vietnam tourism has enough potential and advantages in terms of resources, nature, landscapes, culture, history... The important thing is whether it can be exploited for development or not? If there is a careful recalculation to ensure its position as a spearhead, a comprehensive economic sector with a wide spread and a large enough target to motivate the effort, Vietnam tourism will not only reach 35 million international visitors by 2030 but possibly more.
Policy is both a driving force, a resource and a competitive and promoting measure. Investment in policy is needed, it must be timely, it must be proactive, leading, promoting and supporting. In fact, tourism policy is still slow compared to other countries in the region.
The World Tourism Organization's assessment shows that Vietnam's resources rank 24th but its policies are far behind. It is necessary to change the way policies are built and operated to create regulations that promote, create breakthroughs, and attract maximum social resources...
With resources, it is necessary to take advantage of financial and human resources. Waste of environment and tourism landscape is also waste. Policies are needed to transform resources into advantages in tourism business and tourism development.
For businesses, there needs to be supportive, investment, and promotion policies to create "leading cranes" in the industry; there must be tourism businesses of global stature, globally competitive in 3, 5, or 10 years? Without policies, it will be difficult to have Vietnamese tourism corporations of international scale and stature.
* Thank you!
Source: https://nld.com.vn/cach-nao-de-du-lich-viet-but-pha-trong-nam-2025-canh-tranh-voi-thai-lan-196250128235308359.htm
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