The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) has set 10 key development tasks in its strategy for the period of 2011-2015 aiming to bring into full play the results of the sector to keep up with socio-economic development.

They are: to grasp thoroughly and well organize the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam; continuously develop and complete regulations, mechanisms and policies; strengthen the inspection, supervision and acceleration of policies on state management capacity and efficiency in specific fields; focus on preservation and bring into full play cultural heritage value and develop tourism; continuously direct the implementation of official note content about holidays, festival organization and commendation rewards; well prepare forces to get good outcome in Olympic games and sport festivals; expand and enhance cultural exchange and cooperation nationally and internationally; speed up the implementation of administrative reforms, ensure savings, combat corruption and waste, continuously complete mechanisms and policies to provide human resources for tourism development; successfully implement the National Tourism Year 2011; complete tourism sector targets through 2020 to make tourism a spearhead as a professional sector which has high quality tourism products, comprehensive and modern technical infrastructure, and become a prestigious brand in the world through 2030.

 To achieve these targets, MOCST has proposed six solution groups. They are: to build up master plans and development projects in specific fields; speed up Vietnam's Culture Development Strategy 2011-2020 with a vision to 2030; build up mechanisms, policies and solutions to increase the appreciation and enhance cultural activities of people living in remote, mountainous and border areas as well as islands and ethnic minority groups; cater to human resource training in culture and the arts, strengthen resources and infrastructure for cultural development; implement the plan on human resource development in culture, sport and tourism sector through 2020 and with a vision to 2030; enhance state management efficiency; and renovate cultural management and organization. Regarding tourism, Hoang Thi Diep, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) said that the VNAT is making 2011 a national tourism year with a concentration on sea-island attractions in the central region such as Phu Yen, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan together with cultural and discovery tourism with numerous attractions. VNAT will support localities to foster their tourism development, thereby attracting local and foreign tourists. By 2015, the tourism sector strives to attract 7-8 million foreign tourists and 32-35 million local travelers. Tourism revenue will reach VND10-11 billion and its GDP will make up 5.5-6 percent of national GDP. Besides focusing on high growth, the tourism sector will pay attention to tackling environment problems. The sector targets to develop green tourism which will connect tourism development with natural resource preservation and environmental protection. In the meantime, economic development will go in parallel with tourism development, which will contribute to preserving traditional culture and reducing poverty./.

Source: VEN