Efforts to achieve 2024 growth target in service sector

The socio-economic situation in the first 6 months of 2024 in the country and the region faced many difficulties and challenges, economic recovery was slow and unstable. In the province, the economy continued to recover but also faced many difficulties due to the impact of the general economic situation in the world and in the country.

In that context, Ninh Binh province has synchronously, resolutely, with a focus on key tasks and solutions to maintain and develop production, promptly grasp the situation and remove difficulties and obstacles, effectively support businesses to promote production and business development, focusing on promoting the development of service industries. At the same time, sectors and levels in the province continue to make efforts and determination, with the consensus and support of the people and the business community in overcoming difficulties and challenges, maintaining and developing production and business, contributing to the socio-economic development of the province.

With comprehensive solutions, the province's economic development in the first 6 months of the year continued to recover in a positive direction, maintaining growth momentum. The 6-month GRDP growth rate reached 8.19%, ranking 12th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide and 6th out of 11 provinces and cities in the Red River Delta. In particular, trade and service activities continued to be vibrant and achieved high growth, the GRDP value of the service industry reached 10,456 billion VND, up 9.43%, contributing 3.63 percentage points to the GRDP growth rate of the entire economy and reaching 47.2% of the yearly plan.

Chart of the proportion of industries in the province's GRDP structure. Design: Quynh Trang

Comrade Duong Duc Dang, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said: Determining that the service sector continues to be a new driving force for economic growth in the current period, right from the beginning of the year, to ensure the balance of supply and demand of goods and stabilize the market, the Provincial People's Committee has directed relevant units to proactively prepare plans to supply essential goods and goods with high consumer demand, ensuring quality, fully and promptly meeting the needs of the people. In addition, actively implementing the campaign "Vietnamese people prioritize using Vietnamese goods", including activities to encourage and support enterprises to produce and trade Vietnamese goods with quality and reasonable prices.

Therefore, in the first 6 months of 2024, the total retail sales of goods in the whole province reached over 39.4 trillion VND, an increase of 26.2% over the same period, all groups of goods achieved high growth, specifically: food and foodstuff group increased by 31.7%; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles, motorbikes increased by 36.5%; other fuels increased by 37.5%; cultural and educational items increased by 37.6%; garment group increased by 35.5%; other goods increased by 40.1%...; only the group of cars (under 9 seats) had retail sales decrease by 1.7% over the same period due to continued decline in consumer demand.

Efforts to achieve 2024 growth target in service sector — Consumers shop at Winmart Supermarket (Ninh Binh city). Photo by Nguyen Thom

At the same time, the province also promoted import and export activities with practical and direct support for businesses. Accordingly, in the first 6 months of 2024, the export sector has had a positive recovery, along with the efforts of businesses in improving the efficiency of exploiting traditional markets and new and potential markets. Total export turnover is estimated at 1,679 million USD, up 10.8% over the same period, reaching 51.7% of the annual plan. Export items with a good increase compared to the same period include: electronic components up 32.6%; auto spare parts of all kinds up 66.2%; embroidery and lace products up 63.8%...

In the tourism sector, the opportunities to restore the smokeless industry are being proactively seized by the government and businesses. Mr. Pham Duy Phong, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, said: Since the end of 2023, the tourism industry has proactively implemented a series of programs and stimulus activities to attract tourists, "get ahead" of domestic and traditional international tourists and exploit new markets. Along with that, the province has organized many activities such as: successfully organizing the 10th Anniversary of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex being recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage (2014-2024); Ninh Binh Tourism Week 2024 with the theme "The Golden Color of Tam Coc - Trang An"..., contributing to attracting an increasing number of tourists to Ninh Binh. This is an important condition to promote growth in hotel, restaurant and tourism service businesses.

According to statistics, the number of visitors to tourist attractions in the first 6 months of the year reached 6.26 million, up 38% over the same period, reaching 83.5% of the yearly plan; the total number of guests staying reached 1.17 million, up 77.9% over the same period and reaching 74.8% of the yearly plan. Revenue from tourism activities reached VND 5,912 billion, up 53.6% over the same period last year and reaching 71.7% of the yearly plan. Of which, accommodation revenue reached VND 442.2 billion, up 38.3%; food and beverage revenue reached VND 2,927.5 billion, up 48.3% over the same period in 2023.

To continue the success of two consecutive years of double-digit growth in the trade and service sector, from now until the end of the year, the Industry and Trade sector will identify and develop local service sectors in conjunction with the application of high technology, improve service quality, and diversify products. Implement solutions to boost exports, especially to large and potential markets, effectively promote signed trade agreements and treaties. Strongly promote domestic consumption in conjunction with strengthening market management, closely monitoring market developments to proactively have plans to ensure supply-demand balance, avoiding shortages and supply disruptions in all situations.

Along with that, the Department of Tourism proactively exploits the advantage of attracting international visitors at the end of the year, while stimulating domestic tourism demand. The Department synchronously and drastically implements solutions to promote tourism and service development; strengthens destination promotion and advertising, focuses on building distinct tourism products, and improves service quality. Along with that, improving the quality of tourism products based on the potential, advantages of nature, culture, and history imbued with national identity, connecting tourism spaces, creating unique experiences, suitable for the tastes of domestic and international tourists.

Nguyen Thom

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