Hoang Thi Diep, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), said the programme will address the challenges the tourism industry faces in order to attract a growing number of tourists and combine tourism with trade and services. It is also intended to boost the consumption of domestic goods and help the national economy overcome difficulties arising from the global economic downturn.

At the conference, delegates discussed how to attract foreign visitors through travel agencies and foreign media, and promote Vietnam through the "Vietnam-Endless Beauty" campaign in key and potential markets, including China, India, the Middle East, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as Russia and Eastern Europe, France and Western Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN member countries.  

The tourism industry will also promote domestic tourism on national holidays and during major events this year. It will launch advertising campaigns for places in Vietnam that appeal to international visitors. It also aims to raise awareness among local communities, offer discounts on various travel packages, boost the development of tourism products and improve the quality of services.

The same day, the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched its 2013 tourism stimulation programme with the goal of welcoming 4.1 million foreign arrivals, up 8 percent over 2012, and earning VND82,000 billion from its tourism industry, a year-on-year increase of 15 percent.