Vietnam funds tourism impact study

The European Union has agreed to grant EU11 million to fund a study on Vietnam’s environmentally and socially responsible tourism capacity development to enable the country to harness tourism potential but safeguard its assets.

The Vietnamese government has agreed to support by the plan with its own grant valued at EU1.1 million.

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism deputy minister and head of the project, Ho Anh Tuan, said tourism development needed to be planned carefully to generate more jobs, raise social income, and contribute to achieving socio-economic development targets for 2011 to 2015 and the National Tourism Development Strategy for 2011 to 2020.

“Government ministries, branches and agencies have adopted policies to facilitate tourism development and attract investors particularly in high-quality tourism,” Mr Tuan said.

The five years study plan (2011 to 2015) aims to reduce adverse impacts of tourism on the environment and maximise socio-economic and cultural benefits.

Part of the project will seek to enhance opportunities for the poor, women, and ethnic minority of the country and train 5,000 workers from disadvantaged localities in the country to work in tourism sectors.

Source - ttrweekly