The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has issued a decision on the establishment of the Department of Tourism in a bid to enhance the city’s state management on tourism.
Under the decision, which will take effect from October 16, the department will be separated from the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
It will be an agency under the municipal People’s Committee undertaking activities related to state management on tourism, such as the assessment of applications for international travel business licenses and the evaluation of the rankings for accommodation establishments.
The department will work with relevant departments and sectors to draw models and measures to ensure social security and safety for tourists, and promote environmental protection efforts in the city’s tourist sites.
Ho Chi Minh City is one of the country’s leading tourism centres. Its annual turnover from tourism activities accounts for 47 percent of the country’s figure and contributes 11 percent to the city’s GDP.