Discussion about ways to accelerate the industry’s recovery and growth in the coming time were put in the spotlight at a tourism conference 2021 which was held on Saturday in the central province of Nghe An in both in-person and online formats.

Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Tran Phuoc Son delivering his speech from Da Nang

Themed 'Viet Nam’s Tourism - Recovery and Development', the event was co-hosted by National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Nghe An Provincial authorities.

Deputy Head of the municipal National Assembly Deputies' delegation Tran Chi Cuong and Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People's Council Cao Thi Huyen Tran co-chaired the event in Da Nang.

Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Tran Phuoc Son delivered a speech from the city with the theme: 'The issuance and implementation of municipal specific policies and mechanisms in attracting investment and developing tourism, and proposals and recommendations'.

In his speech, Vice Chairman Son emphasized that tourism was identified as one of the three main pillars according to Politburo's Resolution No 43-NQ/TW regarding the city's progress by 2030 with a vision toward 2045.

In 2020 and 2021, the complicated developments of COVID-19 have caused severe damage to investors, businesses and hospitality workers, thereby greatly affecting the city's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth targets.

Aside from the national government's support policies, Da Nang authorities have recently issued a number of support policies for both enterprises and labourers. Specially mentioned have been free admission to State-managed tourist attractions in Da Nang, attractive tourism stimulus programmes, free training courses for human resources, active support for employees who do not have labour contracts, and offering preferential loans to hospitality workers.

Moreover, Da Nang has established the Tourism Promotion Fund to mobilize other financial sources to enhance tourism promotion activities, as well as has boosted digital transformation in tourism businesses.

In an effort to recover the city's tourism industry in the time to come, Da Nang underlined the need for the Government, the National Assembly, and relevant ministries and branches, to review and complete the tourism-related legal regulations.

Specifically, the focus should be on issuing detailed regulations on managing tourism infrastructure assets, and tourism real estate such as condotels, shophouses, officetels and others, as well as on ensuring safety of people at amusement parks and recreation areas with adventure games, and recreational water activities.

Also, Da Nang stressed the necessity for the national government to soon issue mechanisms and policies on land, tax, and credit incentives to appeal for more investment into different types of tourism such as community-based tourism, and agricultural and rural tourism, and infrastructure in the serve of tourism.

Vice Chairman Son also put a spotlight on the need for the national government to issue a number of breakthrough mechanisms to pilot tourism development, including night economic development scheme; as well as allow enterprises to invest in infrastructure, utilities and power system for lighting and decoration, and to organize fun and entertainment activities on a pilot basis.

Mr Son emphasised it is crucial to quickly allocate capital from the national government to develop a system of highways connecting Da Nang with other localities in Central Viet Nam and throughout the country, as well as a road system to Laos.

Regarding to mechanisms and policies to attract tourists, the Da Nang authorities urged the national government to restore international flight routes, especially exemption and reduction of services at international airports.

In addition, it is necessary to simplify visa procedures, restore visa exemption for tourists from some markets (the policy was in place before Viet Nam closed its borders to foreign tourists in March 2020), and continue to promote visa exemption for tourists from Viet Nam's key tourist markets in a bid to increase competitiveness with international destinations in the region.

Vice Chairman Son highlighted the importance of re-establishing a representative office of the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security in Da Nang to satisfy the needs of people and businesses.

He also urged the national government to continue implementing business support packages (loans with preferential interest rates, debt freeze, debt rescheduling and tax reduction) and discounting electricity bills for tourism service providers, with the aim to help businesses involving hospitality overcome their current pandemic-triggered difficulties, and drive their post-pandemic recovery.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP - Translating by M.DUNG