Decision No. 321/QD-TTg dated February 18, 2013 of the Prime Minister on approving the National Action Program for Tourism 2013 – 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Decision No.321/QD-TTg dated February 18, 2013 of the Prime Minister on approving the National Action Program for Tourism 2013 – 2020

Pursuant to the Law on Government organization dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Law on Government organization dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 2473/QD-TTg dated December 30, 2011, approving the Strategy for Vietnam’s tourism development by 2020, and the orientation towards 2030;

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

DECIDES:

Article 1. Approving the national action program for tourism 2013 – 2020, in particular:

1. Targets

a) General targets

- Contribute to the achievement of targets set in the Strategy for Vietnam’s tourism development by 2020, and the orientation towards 2030. Develop tourism into a major, professional industry by 2020, with relatively comprehensive and modern facilities; develop high-quality and diverse tourism products imbued with national identities, trademarks, and able to compete other countries in the region and in the world;

- Build a tourism product system based on the advantage or resources towards investment in the improvement of services quality and distinctive values of tourism resources in various areas; ensure the sustainable tourism development. Development the competitive tourism products that are suitable for the target market of Vietnam’s tourism, focus on long-time and lucrative markets;

- Build the national tourism trademark and regional trademarks of tourism products and typical kinds of tourism associated with regions and enterprises; locate the trademark of Vietnam’s tourism at home and abroad in order to improve the competitiveness of Vietnam’s tourism in the region and in the world, enhance the effectiveness of tourism, contribute to the socio-economic development of the country;

- Improve the managerial capability via strengthening the structure of the State management mechanism; enhance the regulations and policies on inter-sectoral cooperation in order to facilitate the development of tourism; enhance the effectiveness of State management and the quality of State management officers in charge of tourism.

b) Specific targets

- Contribute to the achievement of for the quantity tourists and the revenue from tourism in the Strategy for Tourism development by 2020 and the orientation towards 2030: attract 7 – 7.5 million of arrivals of international tourists by 2015, serve 36 – 37 million of domestic tourists, the total revenue from tourists reaches 10 – 11 billion USD by 2015;: attract 10 – 10.5 arrivals of international tourists, serve 47 – 48 domestic tourists, the total revenue from tourists reaches 18 – 19 billion VND by 2020;

- By 2015: build and transfer the management and use of 20 high-quality, typical and distinctive tourism products to localities. By 2020: build and transfer the management and use of 50 high-quality, typical and distinctive tourism products to localities. Provide at least 5 – 6 typical tourism products every year that are suitable of each important market and group of market of Vietnam’s tourism, and 3 – 4 high-quality tourism products serving domestic tourism. Prioritize the sustainable development of sea island tourism, cultural tourism, community tourism, ecotourism, especially the development of tourism in the ethnic area;

- By 2015: finish and run at least 5 tourism quality control programs such as tourism residence quality control; travel quality control; service quality control at tourist attractions and resorts; tourist transit service quality control; other tourism service quality control;

- By 2015: improve the quality of 30% of tourism products of tourist attraction and resorts nationwide; by 2020: finish upgrading approximately 70% of tourism products of tourist attractions and resorts nationwide;

- Support 30% international travel agencies in utilizing and developing tourism products by cooperation in utilizing a kind of products; cooperation in exploiting the same pivotal international tourism market of Vietnam’s tourism, or in running the tourism demand stimulation based on the cooperation with airlines, service providers, shopping malls, etc.;

- By 2020: support 100% national tourist attractions and resorts in running the program for improving tourism environment (natural and cultural environment), contributing to the improvement of tourism quality.

- By 2015: build 3 – 4 regional tourism trademarks, and run trademark development programs; by 2020: build develop trademarks in all 7 tourism regions of Vietnam;

- By 2020: support the development of 30 trademarks of typical kinds of tourisms associated to localities and enterprises;

- By 2015: 90% of Central State management officers in charge of tourism are provided with knowledge about tourism management, updated with new knowledge, skills in foreign languages and IT that satisfy work demand; 50% officers in the sectors related to tourism such as customs, polices, border guard, etc. are updated with tourism information and manners; by 2020, 100% of officers in charge of local tourism management are provided with tourism knowledge and skills.

2. The subjects, scale, and period of program

a) Subjects

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall preside the activities of the Program based on the cooperation with relevant Ministries, agencies, and local governments in the inter-sectoral activities, in order to boost the tourism development.

b) Scale

The program is run nationwide, according to the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam’s tourism and the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam’s tourism areas.

c) Period

The Program shall be run from 2013 to 2025. The Program shall be assessed in 2015. The Program shall be closed in 2020.

3. Activities of the programs

a) Supporting the development of tourism products

- Survey the target market of Vietnam’s tourism in order to plan the development of suitable tourism products.

+ Research, investigate, and collect information about the domestic tourism market serving the development of tourism products that satisfy the demand for domestic travel of the people, increase the domestic tourism sale, aiming to cultural, ecological, relaxing, weekend, and shopping tourism;

+ Research, investigate, and collect information about international tourism market in order to develop tourism products that suit the tastes of key markets of Vietnam’s tourism, which are identified in the Strategy for Vietnam’s tourism development by 2020 and the orientation towards 2030;

- Support the development of tourism products that suit the target market of Vietnam’s tourism based on the advantages of tourism resources and the distinction of 7 tourism areas of Vietnam;

+ Assess the conditions of tourist attractions and resorts; suggest the national and local accreditation serving the management and orientation of tourism product development.

+ Study and organize surveys, seminars, and collect experts’ opinions for deciding the development of typical and distinctive tourism products of high quality, according to the themes of the Years of National tourism in order to attract tourists and ensure the investment in concentration development tourism products that create efficiency in resources exploitation. Attach the development of tourism products to the sale of tourism products from travel agencies. Transfer the model of quality control, management, and exploitation to localities.  Prioritize the development of the following tourism products:

. The advantageous tourism products of Vietnam such as sea and island tourism, cultural tourism, ecotourism, etc.;

. The thematic tourism products serving the Years of National tourism; the tourism products that exploit the transport advantages such as marine, air, railway, road, river tourism; some other supplementary tourism products such as MICE tourism, culinary tourism, golfing tourism, health care tourism, etc.;

. The tourism products that exploit the advantages of regional connection, international tourism products, etc…

- Improve the tourism service quality

+ Improve the tourism service quality through some activities

. Support the formulation of the scheme on the reasonable use of tourism resources, and sustainable development of some national tourist attractions and resorts.

. Formulate and run the Service quality control program applicable to hotels, restaurants, travel, tour guiding, tourist transit, and other tourism services;

. Guide, supervise, and inspect the development of the standard restroom system serving tourism at tourist attractions and resorts;

+ Improve the quality of tourism environment (natural and cultural environment).

. Cooperate with Ministries and agencies in running publicity and education programs for raising the awareness of tourism, the protection of tourism resources, and tourism manners;

. Formulate and implement the plan for intersectoral cooperation, emphasize the roles of local governments in ensuring the order, security, and hygiene for tourists at tourist attractions and resorts; provide a mechanism for cooperation, for sharing benefits and responsibilities of local communities and enterprise for the protection of resources and the environment at national tourist attractions and resorts;

. Formulate and implement the Action plan “Hygiene – Civilization – Politeness” in tourism at localities;

+ Support the enhancement of the quality of tourism human resources

. Cooperate with Ministries, agencies, and training institutes specialized in tourism, and Services of Culture, Sports and Tourism nationwide in boosting the construction progress, applying the professional skills; the scheme for standardizing and completing the framework tourism training programs. Guide and supervise the application of tourism skill standards and approved framework programs;

. Periodically organize some advanced tourism training programs, information update program, and knowledge provision for tourism worker, especially the training provided for speakers and tour guides in the policies of the State and the Communist Party on tourism, in order to improve the quality of tour guides;

. Provide some programs for training the skills in managing and serving tourists for tourism companies and local communities towards sustainable development;

. Periodically hold tourism competitions, concentrating on the occupations in hotels, restaurants, travel, tour guiding, etc. in order to improve the tourism skills and encourage and development of tourism human resources;

. Hold tests for issuing tour guide’s cards and tourism’s speaker cards.

- Support distribution channels for tourism products, and run the Programs for stimulating tourism demand in order to attract tourists.

+ Support distribution channels for Vietnam’s tourism products.

. Formulate schemes for the cooperation between national tourism agencies, local governments, the units in charge of tourist routes, tourist attractions and resorts, and enterprise for advertising tourism products on target markets;

. Hold events to honor the travel agencies that send tourists to Vietnam, the enterprises that take care of international tourisms coming to Vietnam according to the target markets;

. Support offering tourism products on target markets via the distribution channels being Vietnamese and foreign travel agencies.

+ Run some Tourism Demand Stimulation Programs

. Hold and setup programs for tourism stimulation, service discount and promotion, together with the participation of local governments, service providers inside and outside the tourism industry, for the purpose of further attracting international tourists and encourage domestic tourism during off-seasons, or over the period when tourism is under the negative impacts of objective conditions;

. Cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade in periodically running Goods Promotion Programs associated with tourism in order to attract and increase the spending of tourists;

. Cooperate with other Ministries, agencies, and local governments in formulating and request the Prime Minister to adopt some special and specific policies on tourism in some markets, market segments, or on the tour packages via Vietnamese international travel agencies.

b) Develop Vietnam’s tourism trademarks

- Build up tourism trademarks

+ Develop the identity system for Vietnam’s tourism trademarks

. Study and develop the trademark identity system including the National tourism trademark, regional and local tourism trademark, trademarks of tourism products and tourism enterprises;

- Hold surveys, researches, and conventions to obtain opinions from consultants, travel agencies, and market survey result to build Vietnam’s tourism trademarks.

. Study, develop, suggest policies and mechanisms for protecting, sharing benefits, and development tourism trademarks after they are accredited

+ Create and development the National tourism trademark system

. Support the regions, localities, and enterprises in creating and developing local and corporate tourism trademarks;

. Hold competitions to awards titles in the tourism industry for the purpose of improving the services quality and asserting the Vietnam’s tourism trademarks such as: voting for representative business people in the tourism industry, awarding prestigious titles to hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, tourist attractions, resorts, rest stops, and shopping malls that serve tourists, etc.; hold culinary competitions and other competition in the tourism industry.

- Locate and publicize Vietnam’s tourism trademarks

+ Improve the quality of the publicity for tourism trademarks

. + Research and apply information technology in the developing and advertising system Vietnam’s tourism trademarks;

. Build the data bank serving the publicity for Vietnam’s tourism trademarks

. Provide a mechanism for hiring experts, professional advertising and event companies to provide consultancy and publicize Vietnam’s tourism trademarks abroad.

+ Hold major tourism programs and events in Vietnam to publicize Vietnam’s tourism trademarks

. Organize PR activities and programs for Vietnam’s tourism trademark publicity on the media, at tourism centers, and where tourists are dense such as airports, ports, train stations, and on the route to tourist attractions, etc.;

. Hold online information exchange and seminars on the mass media about tourism trademark development;

. Cooperate in the organization of large-scale programs for culture-tourism, sport-tourism in Vietnam in order to publicize Vietnam’s tourism trademarks, especially the publicity for trademarks associated with the themes of the Years of Tourism;

+ Organize publicity events and advertisements for Vietnam’s tourism trademark and destination of Vietnam overseas

. Cooperate with representative agencies of Vietnam overseas to hold the publicity campaigns for the destination of Vietnam; the programs and events for introducing and publicizing Vietnam’s tourism products and trademarks, or organize Weeks of Vietnam, Days of Vietnam, and Cultural Tourism Festivals in target tourism markets; hold programs for meeting overseas Vietnamese associations in other countries to encourage them to visit Vietnam, participate in the presentation on Vietnam, and encourage foreign friends to visit Vietnam; conduct campaigns for advertising Vietnam’s tourism trademarks through the Vietnamese restaurant system overseas;

. Produce publications and items for publicize Vietnam’s tourism trademarks in key tourism markets;

. Invite foreign film crews to make films about Vietnam’s tourism, and broadcast them on the primary tourism markets of Vietnam;

. Invite major travel agencies and press agencies to Vietnam for surveying and publicize Vietnam’s tourism trademarks;

. Invite world’s economic, political, musical, entertainment, sport, and movie celebrities to Vietnam for sightseeing and relaxing in order to serve the publicity for Vietnam’s tourism trademarks.

c) Complete the system of laws and policies on tourism

- Review, adjust, supplement, complete, and disseminate the contents of the Law on Tourism, its guiding documents, and the documents related to tourism in order to serve tourism management;

- Develop the legal foundations and penalties against the organizations and individuals in charge of the tourist attractions and resorts that violate the regulations on the tourism establishment and the assurance of safety for tourists;

- Research and develop mechanisms and policies for boosting tourism development: policies on attracting investment in tourist attractions, investment in the development of new tourism services; investment in upgrading tourism service provide; promoting investment in new technologies for travel management, transport, hotel, and tourism publicity, etc.; study the supplementation and suggest distinctive mechanisms for regions, areas, and cities in order to create resources and facilitate planning.

- Deploy other activities to improve the capability of tourism management

+ Build and efficiently use the tourism database that serves the management;

+ build and apply the system of specialized standards and regulations on tourism service quality control according to international standards;

+ Build a system and operate the process of inspection, supervision, and tourism service quality via the system of specialized standards and regulations that have been accredited;

+ Strengthen the system of tourism statistics and apply the satellite account system in accordance with the regulations of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) on tourism statistics for serving the management and policy adoption;

+ Study the application of new technologies to tourism development and management. Develop and upgrade software of State management agencies in charge of tourism.

- Review and deploy the intersectoral, interregional, and international cooperation in order to facilitate tourism.

d) Strengthen the organization and quality of tourism management officers

- Strengthen the tourism management system.

+ Complete the organizational structure and enhance the capability of central State management agencies in charge of tourism. Strengthen the mechanism serving the inspection and supervision of tourism quality, establish the organizations that inspect and assess the quality of tourism services;

+ Complete the organizational structure and enhance the capability of central State management agencies in charge of tourism.

+ Support the improvement of managerial capability of the Services of Culture, Sports and Tourism; complete the mechanism serving the management of resources and tourist destinations, and the tourism promotions at localities;

+ Review and strengthen the organization and mechanism for the cooperation among Ministries, agencies, and local governments in resolving difficulties and facilitating tourism development.

- Organize the activities for improving the capability of central and local tourism management officers through the programs that improve knowledge, managerial skills, and foreign language skills, etc.; provide knowledge on tourism management, tourism promotion, manners, and new knowledge for local governments and the officers that perform duties related to tourism such as the police, the customs, the border guard; the management boards of cultural and historical remains, the management boards of tourist attractions and resorts, etc.

4. Solutions for running the Program

- Enhance the leadership and direction of the Communist Party, the government, and the State management agencies in charge of tourism in tourism development.

- Enhance the propagation for raising awareness of tourism, encourage the participation of the people, local communities, and social organizations in the tourism development.

- Establish a system to supervise the exploitation of tourism resources, ensure the sustainable tourism development. Review and complete the planning for the use of resources and tourism development.

- Formulate the plan for training and raising the tourism management capability of central and local officers, and the state officials in other industries related to tourism such as customs, security, taxation, etc. and state management officers in remote areas where tourism resources are abundant.

- Review, formulate, and run the programs for the cooperation between the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with other Ministries in order to facilitate the tourism development.

- Provide a mechanism for private cooperation and the private-public cooperation model; encourage the participation of social and occupational association, non-governmental organizations, and the community in tourism development.

- Provide a mechanism for encouraging the participation of all economic sectors in the investment in the tourism infrastructure, contributing to the development of tourism product system, complete and improve tourism service quality, etc.

- Enhance the scientific research activities serving the forecast, planning, and adoption of policies that serve tourism management and orient the tourism development.

- Utilize the international cooperation in technologies, funding, and experience of developing and running training programs that serve tourism development.

5. Budget for running the Program

- The budget for running the program is raised from the central budget, local budget, contributions from enterprises, and other lawful sources. The funding from the State budget is allocated in State budget estimates of Ministries, central agencies, and local governments according to current state decentralization;

- Annually, when formulating the State budget plans, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall estimate the funding for the Program, and send it to the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance shall then submit it to competent authorities for consideration and decision in accordance with the Law on Budget;

- The Ministry of Finance shall allocate the State budget from 2013 according to the budget estimate made by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Article 2. Organization of Program implementation

1. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall:

- Preside the National Action Program for Tourism 2012 – 2020;

- Preside and cooperate in the development of mechanisms and policies on the management and implementation of the Program, and request the Prime Minister to promulgate them, or promulgate them itself;

- Cooperate with the Ministry of Finance in formulating the Regime for the management and use of funding sources; provide a financial mechanism for mobilizing resources outside the State budget to run the Program;

- Based on the program content and current regulations, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall direct the development and approve specific projects (including the purposes, requirements, tasks, demand for resources, progress, responsibilities, etc.) Formulate, approve and organize the implementation of annual plans for running the Program;

- Make and send budget estimates for running the Program annually as prescribed in the Law on State budget, applicable to the contents covered by the central budget, to the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance shall then submit it to competent authorities for consideration and decision.  Cooperate with the Ministry of Finance in estimating the funding for performing the tasks covered by the local budget, and the funding outside the State budget;

- Carry out inspection and supervision, periodically review assess the progress of the Program;

- Make and send annual reports to the Prime Minister on the result of the Program for resolving the ultra virus difficulties;

- Review and report the result of the Program to the Prime Minister in Q4 2015; summarize the Program in Q4 2020;

- Assign Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to preside the activities of the Program, cooperate with relevant units to do some activities in order to improve the effectiveness of the Program; review the progress every year, suggest appropriate solutions for adjusting the Program in order to achieve the targets.

2. The Ministry of Finance shall:

- Allocate budget to the Program based on the progress of the projects, in accordance with the Law on State budget.

- Preside the formulation of the regulation on management; guide the management and use of budget for the Program.

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall:

Cooperate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in studying, formulating, and promulgating the mechanism for mobilizing resources outside the State budget to run the Program.

4. Other Ministries and sectors shall

Cooperate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in facilitate the tourism development under their management.

5. People’s Committees of central-affiliated cities and provinces shall:

- Plan and grant annual funding for local activities based on the Program.

- Formulate and implement provincial action plans for running the Program; formulate and execute schemes and projects to run the Program locally; review and adjust the relevant local planning ad plan.

- Direct Services of Culture, Sports and Tourism and relevant organizations to develop programs for cooperating with central State management agencies in charge of tourism to run the National Action Program for Tourism.

- Propagate and disseminate activities of the Program locally;

- Mobilize more resources and integrate activities relevant to tourism to achieve the program targets.

Article 3.This Decision takes effect on the signing date.

Article 4.The Minister, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of Governmental agencies, the Presidents of People’s Committees of central-affiliated cities and provinces are responsible for the implementation of this Decision.

For the Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister

Nguyen Thien Nhan