Prioritize sustainable tourism development after the pandemic

On the afternoon of November 13, in Da Nang, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with Duy Tan University and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea to organize the opening ceremony of the 17th UNWTO Asia- Pacific tourism policy and strategy management training workshop.

Triển khai nhiều kế hoạch phục hồi du lịch - Ảnh 1.

International tourists visit Ngu Hanh Son - Da Nang

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Doan Van Viet, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that according to the report of the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization at the 25th General Assembly, the number of international tourists in the first 7 months of 2023 reached about 700 million, recovering 84% compared to the same period in 2019. However, the recovery results of the Asia- Pacific region are slower than other regions in the world, when there are regions such as the Middle East that have welcomed more visitors than before the pandemic.

According to Mr. Viet, to recover and develop tourism in this period, it is necessary to perceive and think in a sustainable and self-reliant direction, pay more attention to green growth and apply technology, digital transformation in destination management and promotion. In addition, it is impossible not to mention the essential role of human resources, especially high-quality human resources at the management level.

Speaking about Vietnam, Mr. Viet said that after 2 years of opening up, the tourism industry has gradually recovered and received many favorable policies for development. In the first 10 months of 2023, Vietnam welcomed nearly 10 million international visitors, recovering 69% compared to the same period in 2019 and surpassing the initial target of 8 million for the whole year. This is a remarkable result, demonstrating the efforts of the entire tourism industry, contributing to the country's economic development, ensuring people's livelihoods, and promoting the image of the country and Vietnamese people to international friends.

Mr. Viet said that Vietnam has implemented many tourism recovery plans in the direction of safe and flexible adaptation after the pandemic, mobilizing the participation of the Government, businesses and people, focusing on prioritizing sustainable tourism development.

The conference will run until November 16 with in-depth sessions including: Education for the future of tourism; changing customer expectations and their impact on workforce development; enhancing digital skills and adaptability and building better resilience to crises.

UNWTO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. As of September 2023, UNWTO has 159 official members. UNWTO's operational objectives are to promote sustainable tourism development, bring tourism opportunities to everyone in the world; enhance the contribution of tourism to economic development, mutual understanding between peoples and nations, regardless of race, gender, language and religion. Vietnam Tourism has been an official member of UNWTO since 1981, under the East Asia - Pacific Commission.

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