Addressing the seminar, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, who is head of the State steering committee for tourism, stressed that Vietnam has great potential in the area. It is essential to focus on preserving cultural and family values, which are considered the cradle of tourism development, he said.

Mr Nhan asked the local tourism sector to implement more effective measures to meet increasing demand from foreign tourists, such as simplifying immigration procedures, improving the skills of tour guides and preserving the nation’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. In addition, he said, human resources and management work should be given more attention.

Participants at the seminar also emphasised the need to preserve traditional cultural values while developing the local tourism sector in the international integration process.

According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tran Chien Thang, in 1990 Vietnam welcomed only 250,000 foreign arrivals. At present, the country ranks fifth among those Southeast Asian countries welcoming the highest number of foreign tourists and earning the largest revenue from the tourism sector.