Ho Chi Minh City inaugurates a Department of Tourism, the first of its kind nationwide, on October 23 to enhance management in the field.
The new department was separated from the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which now becomes the Department of Culture and Sport.
Under a decision issued earlier this month by Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the Department of Tourism will undertake 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 nation’s tourist hubs, making up 47 percent of the country’s tourism revenues, said Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hong.
In the first seven months of this year, the city welcomed nearly 2.4 million foreign tourists, a year-on-year increase of 9.1 percent. The sector earned 52 trillion VND (3.3 billion USD) in revenue, up 8.5 percent.