Resolution No. 103/NQ-CP dated October 06, 2017 of the Government on promulgating the Government’s Program of Action to implement the XIIth Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of January 16, 2017, on development of tourism into a spearhead industry

RESOLUTION

Promulgating the Government’s Program of Action to implement the XII^thPolitical Bureau’s Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of January 16, 2017, on development of tourism into a spearhead industry[1]

THE GOVERNMENT

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

Pursuant to the XII^thPolitical Bureau’s Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of January 16, 2017, on development of tourism into a spearhead industry;

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

DECIDES:

Article 1.To promulgate together with this Resolution the Government’s Program of Action to implement the XII^thPolitical Bureau’s Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of January 16, 2017, on development of tourism into a spearhead industry.

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

Article 3.Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees shall implement this Resolution

On behalf of the Government
Prime Minister
NGUYEN XUAN PHUC

THE GOVERNMENT’S PROGRAM OF ACTION

To implement the XII^thPolitical Bureau’s Resolution No. 08/NQ-TW of January 16, 2017, on development of tourism into a spearhead industry

(Promulgated together with the Government’s Resolution No. 103/NQ-CP of October 6, 2017)

I. TARGETS

1. To concretize for proper implementation or achievement the viewpoints, targets, tasks and solutions set forth in the XII^thPolitical Bureau’s Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of January 16, 2017, on development of tourism into a spearhead industry.

2. To clearly determine tasks for ministries, sectors and localities to work out their own plans of action, and organize, inspect, supervise and assess, the implementation of the Government’s Program of Action to implement Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW.

II. TASKS

In order to achieve the targets set forth in Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW, in the coming time, in addition to their regular tasks, the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees are requested to concretize and perform the following tasks:

1. Raising awareness about tourism development

a/ To popularize, grasp and widely disseminate the contents of Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW to ministries, sectors, localities, Party organizations at all levels, the Fatherland Front, organizations, enterprises and people of all strata, particularly the Party’s new viewpoints on the nature of tourism as a general economic sector in an inter-sectoral, inter-regional and highly socialized manner with deep cultural traits, bringing about economic, cultural, social, political, external relation, security and national defense benefits; tourism with its position, role and motive will promote the development of other sectors and fields;

b/ To develop special pages and columns in the mass media to disseminate, popularize and increase public awareness and knowledge about tourism development; to promote Vietnam’s images, people and country, ensuring that tourism is one of the regular and intensive contents in communications programs of the mass media.

2. Restructuring tourism

a/ To formulate and implement the scheme on restructuring of tourism to meet the development requirements in the new period of operation under the market economic rules.

Localities with huge potential and advantages for tourism development shall formulate their own schemes on restructuring of tourism to meet the development requirements in the new period;

b/ To review and adjust the strategies and master plans on tourism development, attaching importance to concentrating resources on building areas serving as a tourism development driving force;

c/ To improve the tourism statistics work in order to clearly determine the position of tourism in the country’s economic development and in localities with potential and advantages for tourism development.

3. Improving institutions and policies

a/ To prepare and finalize documents guiding the 2017 Tourism Law; to promulgate incentive policies for tourism investment; to prioritize the allocation of capital for the human resources planning, training and development and tourism promotion and advertising; to accelerate the administrative procedure reform to facilitate tourism development;

b/ To amend and supplement the list of investment incentives, covering tourism projects in strategic localities, areas serving as a tourism development driving force and regions facing socio-economic difficulties but having potential and advantages for tourism development;

c/ To promulgate appropriate policies on land use levies and land rentals for tourism projects with a low rate of land use for construction and limited construction work height; to establish, and formulate an effective mechanism for management and use of, the Tourism Development Support Fund;

d/ To revise the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, the 2014 Law on Investment and relevant laws in order to create a breakthrough in tourism.

4. Investment in development of tourism infrastructure and physical and technical facilities

a/ To concentrate resources on investment and construction in strategic localities and areas serving as a tourism development driving force;

b/ To formulate, review and adjust strategies, master plans and plans on investment in road, railway, airway, seaway and inland waterway infrastructure to serve tourism development and improve transport to tourist areas and attractions;

c/ To formulate schemes and projects on improvement of service quality and infrastructure of specialized railways, seaports, inland water ports for tourism; to build roadside rest stops along tourism routes; to ensure traffic safety; and increase flights connecting Vietnam and tourism source markets;

d/ To implement the fifth traffic right on air transport and the policy on “opening the sky”; to facilitate domestic and foreign airlines in launching new flights connecting Vietnam and tourism source markets, increasing the number of flights in the existing routes; and to address the bottleneck and overload situation at airports;

d/ To encourage investment in tourist-service complexes, large-sized tourist service projects and high-quality shopping malls and leisure centers in strategic tourist areas.

5. Tourism promotion and advertising

a/ To renew methods and contents and ensure consistency, professionalism and efficiency of tourism promotion and advertising activities at home and overseas; to apply advanced technologies to tourism promotion and advertising;

b/ To formulate and implement the scheme on intensification of communications on tourism and programs incorporating culture, sports, literature - art and cinematographic contents for tourism promotion and advertising;

c/ To build the national tourism brand name imbued with unique images presenting the national cultural identity;

d/ To bring into play the role of communications agencies and the participation of the entire society in tourism promotion and advertising activities;

dd/ To mobilize the participation of overseas Vietnamese agencies, organizations and individuals in tourism promotion and advertising.

6. Creating a favorable environment for enterprises and the community to develop tourism

a/ To build a healthy, transparent, equal and favorable tourism business environment for enterprises, ensuring security and safety for tourism activities;

b/ To support startup enterprises engaged in tourism business; to encourage enterprises to renew, innovate and diversify types of tourism products and services, incorporating tourism in culture-, art- and craft village-related activities and products;

c/ To create favorable conditions for people to directly participate in and benefit from tourism; to build a civilized and friendly tourist community; to support the development of community-based, rural and ecological tourism; to bring into full play the role of socio-professional organizations in tourism development.

7. Developing tourism human resources

a/ To formulate and implement the scheme on renewal of the operation mechanism and building capacity for tourism training establishments, attaching importance to increasing the connection between these establishments and enterprises in training activities; to promote the application of advanced sciences and technologies to tourism human resource training and development;

b/ To implement the program on retraining and improvement of professional skills, foreign language skills and professional ethics for the tourism labor force;

c/ To improve the national code of occupations in tourism in conformity with the ASEAN standards; to establish the national tourist occupation council and the council for grant of professional tourism practice certificates.

8. Enhancing the state management of tourism

a/ To review and improve the national standards and regulations on tourism in the direction of regional and international integration; to sustainably increase the quality of tourism development planning and planning management work;

b/ To consolidate and raise the efficiency of the State Steering Committee on Tourism, meeting the tourism development requirements in the new period;

c/ To study and develop the model and system of organization and management of tourism in a synchronous, professional, valid and efficient manner in order to build capacity, heighten responsibility and powers of state management agencies in charge of tourism at the central and local levels, meeting the requirements of the inter-sectoral and inter-regional management of tourism development in the new period;

d/ To step up the specialized and interdisciplinary inspection and examination, and strictly handle violations; to build a civilized, safe and friendly tourism environment; and to control the quality of tourist services;

dd/ To take the initiative in taking measures to enhance the management of tourism resources in combination with environmental protection and response to climate change which may affect tourism.

III. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

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

a/ Assist the Government, Prime Minister and State Steering Committee on Tourism in directing, urging and coordinating the implementation of this Program of Action, and report the implementation to the Political Bureau and Party Secretariat;

b/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications, ministries, sectors, provincial-level People’s Committees and news and press agencies in, disseminating Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW on development of tourism into a spearhead industry;

c/ Review and adjust the strategies and master plans on tourism development toward concentrating resources on building areas serving as a tourism development driving force;

d/ Formulate, approve and submit to competent authorities for approval programs, projects and schemes under this Program of Action according to its functions and tasks;

dd/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseas Vietnamese representative missions, Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, oversea Vietnamese trade offices and airlines in tourism promotion and advertising;

e/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Information and Communications in, formulating and implementing the general scheme on application of information technology
in tourism.

2. The Ministry of Finance shall:

a/ Formulate, promulgate or submit to competent authorities for promulgation financial, tax and customs mechanisms and policies to facilitate tourism development;

b/ Balance and submit to competent authorities for approval prioritized allocation of funds for performing the tasks under this Program of Action;

c/ Revise the policies to facilitate value-added tax refund to tourists;

d/ Propose appropriate policies on land use levies and land rentals applicable to tourism projects with a low rate of land use and limited construction work height; projects on construction of dormitories and houses for tourism laborers in areas where tourism development is promoted but have limited human resources.

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall:

a/ Prioritize the allocation of development investment funds and public investment capital for performing the tasks under this Program of Action;

b/ Revise and add incentive policies for tourism investment in strategic localities and regions serving as a tourism development driving force;

c/ Prioritize the allocation of state budget capital for the program on support for tourism infrastructure development;

d/ Propose mechanisms for attraction of strategic investors to form tourist service complexes, large-sized tourist service projects, and high-quality shopping malls and leisure centers in strategic localities;

dd/ Improve the system of tourism statistics in the national statistical system.

4. The Ministry of Public Security shall:

a/ Propose solutions to create favorable conditions for international tourists to enter Vietnam;

b/ Promulgate or submit to competent authorities for promulgation regulations on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam to create favorable conditions for international visitors.

5. The Ministry of National Defense shall:

a/ Create favorable conditions for international tourists entering Vietnam through border gates under the Ministry’s management in compliance with the Vietnamese law and international practices;

b/ Recommend areas for tourism development where national defense and security requirements must be met.

6. The Ministry of Home Affairs shall:

Formulate the scheme on model and system of organization and management of tourism in a synchronous, professional and effective manner, meeting the tourism development requirements in the new period.

7. The Ministry of Transport shall:

a/ Formulate, review and adjust strategies, master plans and plans on development of the road, railway, airway, seaway and inland waterway infrastructure to support tourism development, especially in strategic localities;

b/ Formulate and implement investment projects on transport infrastructure to connect infrastructure facilities and control their quality for tourism development according to its functions and tasks assigned to implement this Program of Action;

c/ Request competent authorities to decide on permitting tourist transport vehicles to temporarily enter and depart from road border gates in different inbound and outbound trips.

8. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall:

Formulate and organize training in implementation of scenarios on response to emergency cases related to the environment and climate change which may affect tourism.

9. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall:

a/ Facilitate the clearance of procedures for international tourists visiting Vietnam;

b/ Coordinate with and assist the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in implementing tourism promotion and advertising programs and activities.

10. The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall:

a/ Adjust the electricity price applicable to tourist accommodation establishments which is equal to that for production;

b/ Integrate trading promotion into tourism promotion and advertising;

c/ Formulate programs on craft village tours in combination with advertising and sale of goods at traditional craft villages, industrial and small-scale production establishments and domestic trade centers; incorporate the campaign “Vietnamese use Vietnamese goods” with tourism development activities.

11. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall:

a/ Formulate and implement a scheme on renewal of the operation mechanism and building of the capacity for establishments providing vocational training in tourism;

b/ Elaborate and promulgate the national code of occupations for tourism-related business lines;

c/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors in, intensifying the interdisciplinary inspection and examination for prostitution prevention and control in service establishments prone to social evils.

12. The Ministry of Education and Training shall:

a/ Formulate and implement a scheme on incorporation of tourism contents in general education programs;

b/ Formulate and implement a scheme on renewal of the operation mechanism and building of capacity for institutions providing tertiary training in tourism.

13. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall:

Direct and guide the mass media and grassroots communications system in intensifying and renewing the dissemination and increase of public awareness about tourism.

14. Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam and the Vietnam News Agency shall:

Develop special pages and columns on tourism, and step up the dissemination, popularization and increase of the public awareness and knowledge about tourism.

15. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall:

a/ Organize the forum for startup enterprises, renewal and innovation, attaching importance to the protection of intellectual property rights in tourism business; implement programs and schemes on application of sciences and technologies serving tourism development;

b/ Assign tasks of scientific research on policies on support for investment in, development and creation of tourist products and services; and promote tourism business culture in conformity with international standards.

16. The Ministry of Health shall:

a/ Train tour guides in basic knowledge in first aid and response to emergency circumstances;

b/ Direct and coordinate with localities, particularly provinces, cities and areas prioritized for tourism development, in ensuring food hygiene and safety , especially in festivals with large numbers of tourists;

c/ Study and formulate a scheme on tourism development in combination with medical examination and treatment using modern medicine combined with traditional medicine.

17. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall:

a/ Incorporate contents on tourism development in programs on development of the new countryside and business lines in rural areas;

b/ Intensify the formation of clean agricultural development models in combination with the development of rural and ecological tourism.

18. The Ministry of Construction shall:

a/ Review, modify and supplement regional master plans, urban master plans, specialized master plans on technical facilities and utility services in a comprehensive manner to meet the tourism development requirements; and revise regulations on utility services in tourism activities;

b/ Increase effectiveness of the management of architecture, planning and construction of tourist sites in coastal areas, where solutions to preventing natural disasters, storms and floods and responding to climate change and sea level rise should be taken.

19. The Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs shall:

a/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and concerned ministries, sectors and localities in raising awareness about tourism, introducing and advertising the culture of ethnic groups for the purpose of tourism development;

b/ Propose the formulation of support policies to create conditions for ethnic minority and mountainous people to participate in tourist service provision.

20. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies, according to their assigned functions and tasks, shall:

a/ Based on this Program of Action, formulate and implement their own plans of action; periodically review and assess the implementation in reports to be sent to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for summing up and reporting to the Prime Minister;

b/ Make detailed cost estimates to implement their own plans of action and include them in the annual state budget estimates to be sent to the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning and Investment for submission to competent agencies for consideration and decision in accordance with the Law on the State Budget.

21. Provincial-level People’s Committees shall:

a/ Formulate and implement, in pursuance to Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW of January 16, 2917, and the Government’s Program of Action, their own plans of action to implement Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW; take the initiative in performing the tasks within their functions and duties; and annually review and assess the implementation for reporting to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for summing up and reporting to the Prime Minister;

b/ Direct the review and formulation of strategies, master plans and plans on tourism development associated with their socio-economic development targets and tasks, ensuring that tourism is one of the essential part of every development strategy, master plan or plan as well as every investment scheme or project of their localities;

c/ Provinces and centrally run cities with huge potential and advantages for tourism development shall formulate and implement their schemes on tourism restructuring;

d/ Enhance the management of tourism destinations, implement the Prime Minister’s Resolutions and Directives on a number of solutions to promote Vietnam’s tourism development in the new period, enhance the management of tourist environment, and ensure security and safety for tourists;

dd/ Accelerate administrative reforms, and create a favorable environment for enterprises and the community in tourism development;

e/ Promulgate according to their competence incentive policies for investment attraction in tourism  in order to maximize their localities’ potential and advantages; intensify connections among their localities to develop tourist products, markets and value chain;

g/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in ensuring multi-modal convenient transport for tourism development;

h/ Review the master plan on development of the system of local establishments providing vocational training in tourism.

In the course of implementation, ministries, sectors and localities shall coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in proposing necessary amendments and supplements to this Program of Action to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.-

On behalf of the Government
Prime Minister
NGUYEN XUAN PHUC