Decision No. 1685/QD-TTg dated December 5, 2018 of the Prime Minister on approving the Scheme on restructuring the tourism industry to meet requirements for development into a spearhead economic sector

THE PRIME MINISTER

Decision No. 1685/QD-TTg dated December 5, 2018 of the Prime Minister on approving the Scheme on restructuring the tourism industry to meet requirements for development into a spearhead economic sector^[1]

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the June 19, 2017 Tourism Law;

Pursuant to the XII^thParty Congress Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of January 16, 2017, on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 103/ND-CP of October 6, 2017, promulgating the Government’s program of action for implementation of the XII^thParty Congress Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of January 16, 2017, on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector;

At the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism;

DECIDES:

Article 1.To approve the Scheme on restructuring the tourism industry to meet requirements for development into a spearhead economic sector (below referred to as the Scheme), with the following principal contents:

1. Viewpoints

a/ To develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector operating under the market mechanism and acting as the motive force for boosting the development of other sectors and fields, restructuring the economy and renewing the economic growth model.

b/ To restructure the tourism industry toward sustainability, environmental protection and intensive and extensive development, attaching importance to tourism products of high quality and value; to accelerate association among sectors, localities, enterprises, business households and communities to form tourism value chains; to ensure the sharing of interests among communities, enterprises and visitors that benefit from tourism activities.

c/ To bring into full play domestic and overseas resources so that the development of tourism will attain high economic, social and environmental effectiveness; to apply technologies, especially information technology, in development of smart tourism; to build a safe, sound and civilized tourism environment.

2. Objectives

a/ General objectives

To restructure the tourism industry in order to tap to the utmost advantages in terms of products, markets, resources, and sectoral management systems, improve economic, social and environmental effectiveness, and develop tourism into a spearhead economic sector that contributes to raising the people’s life, promoting the image of Vietnamese country and people, and widely spreading traditional fine cultural values of the nation. To strive for the target that Vietnam will become one of top countries with developed tourism industry in Southeast Asia.

b/ Specific targets by 2025

- The total tourism revenue will reach USD 45 billion, the tourism-based export value will attain USD 27 million, and the tourism industry will contribute over 10% of GDP; 6 million jobs, including 2 million direct jobs, will be created; the rate of direct workers who are provided with professional operation and skill training will be gradually increased to 70% of the industry’s workforce. To receive and serve 30-32 million international visitor arrivals and over 130 million domestic tourist arrivals.

- The system of tourism products will be sharply formed with special and diversified branded products deeply imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity, especially in areas acting as the motive force for tourism development; tourist reception capacity of tourist zones and attractions, especially large-scale tourist complexes, will be raised; smart tourism will be widely applied; and the competitiveness of Vietnam’s tourism industry will be gradually improved.

3. Major tasks

a/ Restructuring tourist markets

- Regarding international tourist markets:

+ To further exploit big visitor markets in an effective manner.

+ To concentrate efforts on exploiting markets with high-spending, long-stay leisure visitors on culture and nature tours.

+ To boost the attraction of visitors for a number of specialized market shares in which Vietnam has advantages such as community-based tourism, healthcare tourism, MICE tourism, golf tourism and culinary tourism.

+ To gradually increase the proportion of self-guided tourists who do not go on package tours but experience and explore Vietnam by themselves; to expand and develop potential markets with the number of outbound tourists rapidly increasing every year.

- Regarding domestic tourist markets

+ To further develop the market of leisure tourism and weekend tourism in combination with healthcare, education, cultural and historical study, and ethnic minority culture exploration, and cultural exchange purposes.

+ To reset orientations for the market of festival tourism and cultural-spiritual tourism along the direction of harmoniously combining the festival and cultural-spiritual purposes with others so as to overcome seasonality.

To attach importance to studying and grasping trends of tourist markets so as to proactively and timely adopt response solutions.

b/ Consolidating and developing the system of tourism products and tourist destinations

- To prioritize the development of high added-value tourism products capable of improving tourists’ experience.

- To continue developing key tourism products in which Vietnam has natural and cultural advantages, linked with areas acting as the motive force for development of Vietnam’s tourism:

+ Cultural tourism: To form tourism products in combination with strongly developing tours experiencing different genres of culture and art performances and tours for learning about history, culinary quintessence, customs, traditions and lifestyles.

+ Sea and island tourism: To prioritize the development of sea and island leisure tourism and sea sport tourism in order to position Vietnam as a highly attractive sea leisure destination.

+ Eco-tourism: To concentrate efforts on developing leisure tourism in combination with mountain and lake sightseeing and agricultural and biodiversity study tours at national parks, nature conservation areas and areas with unique landscape values.

+ Urban tourism: To accelerate nighttime recreational and entertainment activities, shopping tourism, MICE tourism, and tours of cultural and historical relics, museums and unique architectural structures in urban centers.

- To develop new tourism products in which Vietnam has potential and conditions:

+ Creative tourism products: To invest in theme parks, and organize big events, cultural-art festivals, art performances, real performances, and light performances.

+ Specialized tourism products: Adventure tourism; health and beauty tourism; golf tourism; and sport and recreational tourism.

+ Shopping tourism products: To build modern shopping centers in parallel with the systems of shops selling souvenirs, local specialties and traditional handicraft products serving tourism.

+ Community-based tourism products: To develop tours experiencing and studying indigenous cultures, customs and knowledge and local culinary arts, with the active participation of and sharing of benefits to local communities, in combination with protection of natural and cultural resources.

- To increase the linkage among and improve the quality of tourism products in value chains.

-  To enhance the management of tourist destinations and areas acting as the motive force for tourism development, ensuring a safe, clean, civilized and friendly environment.

c/ Developing tourism human resources according to a reasonable structure

- To increase the number of direct workers, attaching importance to skilled and highly professional workers.

- To gradually increase the rate of trained laborers, focusing on:

+ Increasing in-deep training in tourism management in combination with information technology application knowledge for officials engaged in state management of tourism, high-ranking managers of businesses, managers of occupational groups, and tourist destination managers.

+ Attaching importance to occupational skill and soft skill training for direct workers of the tourism industry; quickly raising the rate of tourism workers who are trained in professional tourism skills and operations and foreign languages, ensuring that tour guides have deep understanding of the nation’s culture and history.

+ Step by step mobilizing, guiding and training local communities and people so that they can join the industry’s workforce, become tourism promotion and advertising personnel, and represent the image and fine traits of each locality and region as well as the whole country.

d/ Restructuring tourism enterprises

- To encourage large-sized and prestigious tourism enterprises at home and abroad to develop into the key force, setting orientations for development of tourism products and markets, especially high-level and high-value products.

- To concentrate on increasing the number of small- and medium-sized enterprises and business households and increasing connectivity in tourism value chains. To boost the development of models of startups and tourism enterprises applying information technology, smart tourism, creative tourism and community-based tourism.

- To build a fair competition environment with a system of highly competitive professional and modern tourism service businesses capable of meeting requirements of the market economy and international integration.

dd/ Restructuring resources for tourism development

- Regarding investment capital:

+ To encourage investment in the form of public-private partnership in development of tourism infrastructure facilities.

+ To use public investment funds from the state budget as enticement so as to synchronously develop infrastructure facilities in areas acting as the motive force for tourism development and national tourist zones; develop tourism human resources; promote and build Vietnam’s tourism brands; apply new technologies in tourism activities; and support poor areas.

+ To regard investment from the private sector as the major resource for development of tourism infrastructure facilities and tourism product systems; planning, conservation, exploitation and development of natural resources; development of the system of physical and technical infrastructure facilities and tourism services up to international standards; development of human resources; application of science and technology in business activities; and tourism promotion and advertising.

+ To effectively mobilize resources and enhance the role and participation of communities in tourism development.

- Regarding natural resources:

+ To effectively exploit natural and cultural resources in localities, gradually shifting priorities to intangible natural resources with a view to introducing more and more special cultural values of the nation.

+ To encourage the use of resources for investment in development of different types of creative tourism.

- Regarding science and technology resources:

+ To effectively use science and technology resources through application of modern technologies in state management of tourism, destination management, enterprise management, and provision of information and experience values for tourists; to develop smart tourism.

+ To invest in tourism development in combination with application of science and technology; to use green-clean-renewable technologies.

- Regarding promotion of integrated and inter-sectoral resources:

To integrate and effectively use resources of all related ministries and sectors; to increase the responsibilities of ministries, sectors, enterprises, associations, local administrations and communities for tourism development.

e/ Arranging and consolidating the tourism management system

- To step by step form a coordination mechanism for developing tourism in each tourism region to meet the requirement for association in tourism development.

- To form an administration synchronous, professional, efficacious and effective system for management of tourist zones and attractions so as to boost sustainable development of tourism.

- To increase tourism management capacity from the central to local level, concentrating on the role and responsibility of localities in management of tourism environment, ensuring safety, security and order, especially in key tourism areas.

4. Solutions

a/ Investment and supports for tourism development

- To invest in building, expanding and upgrading airports and tourism ports in key areas and areas with potential for tourism development; to increase transport connection to tourist destinations.

- To increase aviation connection with visitor source markets; to effectively implement plans on opening international flight routes under the scheme on orientations for development of direct flight routes connecting Vietnam with key-market countries and regions in order to promote development investment and increase international exchange and integration approved by the Prime Minister under Decision No. 2119/QD-TTg of December 28, 2017.

- To boost bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of civil aviation, and extend the exchange of the 5^thfreedom right on the basis of ensuring national interests so as to boost tourism development. To step by step expand the domestic aviation market to facilitate the participation of more and more airlines.

- To facilitate entry procedures for inbound international visitors, and simplify processes and procedures for grant of visas and e-visas.

b/ Regarding mechanisms, policies and resources for tourism development

- To adopt policies to attract investment and encourage investment in the form of public-private partnership, create a favorable environment for attracting sources from the private sector; the state budget shall provide support for tourism promotion and advertising activities and tourism development in localities with socio-economic difficulties.

- To formulate special mechanisms on exploitation and conservation of tourism resources, especially national tourist zones; to exploit land resources in areas with potential for tourism development. To simplify administrative procedures, formulate attractive and competitive policies in the fields of land, finance, electricity and water, etc., for tourism development investment projects.

- To devise policies for associating input values of sectors and fields that form tourism value chains. To boost autonomy in development of fine art and handicraft products and goods, clean agricultural products, processed food and consumer goods to serve tourism.

- To increase and effectively use the Tourism Development Support Fund, ensuring quality, effectiveness and professionalism of tourism promotion and advertising activities.

- To develop the system of information technology infrastructure in the tourism industry up to regional and international levels. To build a system of telecommunications infrastructure facilities, and free wireless internet services at tourist zones and attractions and hotels, restaurants and tourism service centers.

c/ Regarding human resources development, development of tourism products and tourism promotion and advertising

- Tourism human resources development:

+ To issue policies to attract human resources for northern midland and mountainous regions, Central Highlands and Mekong River delta regions.

+ To adopt national occupational skill standards in the tourism sector in conformity with international standards; to train and standardize tourism human resources.

+ To regularly organize training courses for cadres, civil servants and public employees performing state management of tourism and those engaged in tourist-serving activities; to integrate contents on application of modern technologies into tourism human resources training programs.

+ To build capacity of tourism training establishments. To develop the contingent of tourism teachers, lecturers and trainers; to create conditions for all economic sectors to participate in development of tourism human resources, especially attracting businesspeople, artisans and highly skillful laborers to join training activities. To encourage enterprises to participate in training tourism human resources and training at tourism enterprises. To boost international cooperation in tourism human resources training.

+ To support the development of community-based tourism. To increase propagation and guide local people and communities in tourist zones in order to raise their sense of responsibility and civilized behavioral styles. To organize training and retraining for communities that are engaged in tourism activities.

- Regarding development of tourism products

+ To adopt policies to attract investment in development of large-scale and high-quality tourism products in key areas, areas acting as the motive force for tourism development, and national tourist zones.

+ To promulgate standards and increase control of quality of tourism products and services as well as conditions and comforts for tourism, ensuring safety, security, environmental hygiene and sustainable development.

+ To promulgate coordination regulations to encourage models of association in tourism product supply chains.

- Regarding tourism promotion and advertising

+ To build the system of information and statistics on tourism markets. To arrange sources for national tourism promotion activities, ensuring flexibility and close coordination among sectors, fields, localities and enterprises.

+ To organize and rearrange domestic tourism fairs, ensuring practicability and effectiveness; to raise professionalism of national and international fairs.

d/ Renewing state management of tourism, increasing competitiveness of tourism enterprises

- Renewing state management of tourism:

+ To study and propose models and mechanisms for coordinating and associating tourism development based on regions and areas acting as the motive force for tourism development.

+ To conduct economic impact assessment of tourism via specialized statistical methods (tourism satellite accounts).

+ To review and organize tourist zone and tourist attraction management units nationwide after models that are effective and suitable to local realities, ensuring their managerial capacity and sustainable development of tourism resources. To enhance responsibility of provincial departments, sectors and local administrations; to develop models of public-private cooperation in managing operation of tourist zones and attractions.

+ To formulate a comprehensive and modern database of the tourism industry, and apply technology to support forecasting and tourism promotion and advertising activities.

- Increasing competitiveness of tourism enterprises:

+ To promote the role of tourism associations and tourism-related professional organizations; to encourage the formation of clubs of enterprises operating in the same service sectors or markets or having the same scope.

+ To encourage enterprises possessing strong brands to develop high-level tourism products of high value; to form the network of representative offices of enterprises at key markets of Vietnam’s tourism.

+ To create favorable conditions for small- and medium-sized enterprises and business households in tourism development. To increase startups’ access to capital; to encourage and provide investment incentives at the highest level within the current legal framework.

+ To improve particular community-based tourism models of each region, and create favorable conditions for people to participate in tourism business activities; to standardize tourism services and guide people to invest in and provide tourism services according to standards.

+ To support enterprises to apply modern technologies in the tourism business activities; to develop products that apply technologies to support visitors in approaching and experiencing tourism services based on digital technologies. To monitor the development of technology-based tourism business models so as to timely adopt appropriate management measures.

+ To increase inspection and supervision, strictly handle violations of regulations, and protect intellectual property rights for enterprises, and create a sound, transparent and equal competition environment.

dd/ Regarding the building of tourism environment

- To continue conducting propagation and education work, and mobilize residential communities to contribute opinions in building a safe, hygienic, friendly and civilized tourism environment.

- To properly and timely direct and inspect the implementation of law.

- To install fixed cameras at a number of locations attracting a large quantity of visitors, and increase the effectiveness of hotlines reserved for tourists; to form systems of controlling security and safety at tourist zones and attractions connected with visitor assistance centers.

- To further review and properly manage tourism service provision at all tourist attractions and sightseeing places in localities; to install sufficient signboards; to further build up-to-standard lavatories and clean water supply systems at sightseeing places and rest stops to meet tourism development requirements of localities.

- To accelerate the dissemination of civilized behavioral rules in tourism in localities. To further implement solutions for environmental protection in tourism activities.

- To organize the implementation of the Prime Minister’s instructions on consolidating and enhancing the management of tourism environment and guaranteeing security and safety for tourists.

5. Organization of implementation

a/ The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism:

- To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, sectors and localities in, integrating contents suitable to the latter’s functions and tasks so as to organize the implementation of the Scheme. To implement the following key tasks: building a system of information on tourism markets; formulating regulations on region-based coordination of tourism activities and models of management of national tourist zones; developing the contingent of tourism lecturers and trainers; and supporting community-based tourism development.

- To proactively study and propose mechanisms and policies which need to be amended and supplemented in the process of implementation. To urge, inspect, access and conduct preliminary and final reviews and report the implementation result of the Scheme to the Prime Minister.

b/ The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall review and propose amendments and supplements to mechanisms and policies on mobilization of social resources for tourism development; coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in proposing the Prime Minister to promulgate a system of specialized tourism statistical indicators according to the method of tourism satellite account.

c/ The Ministry of Finance shall balance support funds from the state budget for implementation of the Scheme in accordance with the Law on the State Budget and relevant laws; and review and propose amendments to mechanisms and policies in order to concentrate resources for national tourism promotion and advertising activities.

d/ The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall develop production and distribution networks of goods, especially handicraft and fine art goods and farm produce serving tourists; and enhance management of online services in the tourism sector.

dd/ The Ministry of Transport shall develop and improve transport and transport connection capacity to meet tourism development requirements.

e/ The Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall create favorable conditions in terms of visas and e-visas and simplify administrative procedures for international visitors entering Vietnam.

g/ The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall rationally use land resources for tourism development and adopt particular land management mechanisms applicable to national tourist zones.

h/ The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs shall improve the system of national occupational skill standards in the tourism sector to conform to international standards.

i/ The Ministry of Information and Communications shall develop the system of information technology infrastructure facilities in key tourism areas and digital technology services for tourists.

k/ The Ministry of Health shall study and develop medical services combining traditional medicine and modern medicine capable of serving tourism.

l/ The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall formulate agricultural and rural tourism development models.

m/ The Vietnam Tourism Association shall develop networks of clubs of tourism enterprises by group of service sectors and tourism markets.

n/ Provincial-level People’s Committees shall, within the ambit of their assigned functions and tasks, assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and related ministries and agencies in, implementing the Scheme.

Provinces and centrally run cities with potential and advantages for tourism development shall formulate plans on association and organization of implementation of tasks and solutions under the Scheme; formulate schemes on restructuring the tourism sector in localities so as to tap to the utmost potential and advantages and effectively mobilize resources in localities; and continue implementing management solutions, ensuring safety, security and hygiene in localities so as to serve tourism development.

Article 2.This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 3.Ministries, heads of ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and related agencies and organizations, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees, and related agencies and individuals shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
Vu Duc Dam