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Government considers boost to tourism budget
Provincial authorities and tour companies may receive government funding to boost tourism under a new plan being considered by the national tourism ministry.
The extra funding could be spent on projects ranging from hiring foreign media to promote Vietnam’s tourism potential to renting venues for fairs and tourism events, according to Nguyen Van Tinh, head of the tourism ministry’s International Cooperation Department.
In an interview with Tuoi Tre, Tinh said the extra funding would be decided on a case-by-case basis.
The tourism official said previous government funding for tourism had been effective, with advertising campaigns aired on CNN and the BBC credited with a 16 percent increase in international arrivals to Vietnam between 2006 and 2008.
Last year, Vietnam welcomed 4.25 million international arrivals, up from 3.58 million in 2006.
But Tinh acknowledged the government’s spending on tourism promotion was modest compared to other tourist destinations in the region.
“That’s why the government wants domestic firms and organizations to cooperate with one another to look for measures to make good use of the budget for tourism promotion,” he said. “Although our investment for the promotion remains small compared to other countries, we can still find a way to introduce Vietnam’s tourism potential to the world.”
Tinh said the department had recently invited 10 groups of journalists from 10 foreign travel magazines to Vietnam and the department was hoping to see images of Vietnam featured in the magazines soon.
In March, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung agreed to spend an extra VND25 billion (US$1.4 million) promoting tourism this year.
Meanwhile, campaigns to promote Vietnam are continuing around the world.
Some 27 taxis in London are displaying the images of Vietnam’s tourist attractions as part of the Vietnamese government’s “Impressive Vietnam” campaign, Tinh said.
A CNN film crew is due to arrive in Vietnam this month to shoot a 30-second advertisement promoting the country’s tourist attractions. The commercials will be aired on CNN Asia for three months from mid-September.
The department is also considering promoting eight of Vietnam’s golf courses on international sport channel Star Sport.
Tinh said the department was prepared to pay to bring a film crew to Vietnam if the golf course operators footed the bill for the broadcasting fees.
vietnews
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