Vietnam’s tourism industry has helped promote the country’s image and position in the world, said a government official at a ceremony in Hanoi on July 6 to mark the 50th anniversary of the tourism industry (July 9).

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, who is also Head of the State Steering Committee on Tourism, affirmed that the industry’s growth had helped boost socio-economic development, poverty reduction and economic restructuring in localities across the country.

Over the next 10 years the industry is targeted to become a mainstay of the national economy aiming to have over 60 million domestic and 10-15 million international tourists.

The Deputy PM said that the industry should immediately design a strategy of tourism development for 2011-2020, with a vision towards 2030 and summit it to the government for approval.  

According to the Deputy PM, it is necessary to upgrade and increase the quality of the country’s tourist sites to meet international standards and attract more international tourists.

The number of foreign tourists to the country is rising every year from just 250,000 in 1990 to more than 4 million last year, and Vietnam now ranks 5th in the region and 40th in the world for international tourism.

Vietnam hosted 2.5 million foreign arrivals and served 17 million domestic tourists in the first six months of this year, earning some VND 45 trillion (US$ 2.36 billion). (VNA)