Workshop introduces Draft of Viet Nam annual tourism Report 2013

On 2 October 2014, in Ha Noi, the Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development (ESRT) Program funded by the European Union (EU Project) held a workshop to introduce Draft of Viet Nam annual tourism Report 2013.
The participants of the workshop included Deputy General Director of Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Ms. Hoang Thi Diep; Director of EU Project, Mr. Vu Quoc Tri; International Expert in Tourism Statistics of the ESRT Program, Mr. David McEwen; Team leader of ESRT Program, Ms. Mary McKeon; leaders of VNAT’s Departments; experts of Viet Nam’s General Statistics Office; representatives of several universities in Ha Noi and media agencies.
At the workshop, Mr. David McEwen introduced about main contents of the Viet Nam annual tourism Report 2013 including 7 chapters: Performance of Global Tourism in 2013; Viet Nam tourism Performance Overview 2013; The Economic Contribution of Tourism in Viet Nam; Marketing and Promotional activities in 2013; Tourist Accommodation Overview 2013; Travel Operations-Performance in 2013 and Opportunities, Challenges and Perspectives for 2014.
The draft was based on result of the tourism statistics surveys conducted by VNAT and General Statistics Office and was consulted by experts of VNAT, General Statistics Office and several relevant sides.
According to Mr. David McEwen, the methodology to determine added values of tourism spending plays the most important part of the report, identifying contribution of tourism sector to GDP. The methodology is in conformity with guideline of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in application of Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). Besides, he suggested that tourism sector should continue to implement approved marketing, branding strategies and enhance cooperation with private sector in order to improve quality of the next version of the report in 2014 and 2015.
This methodology is also in line with the sector’s important mission of “Improving the capacity, effectiveness of tourism statistics and building statistical system in conformity with tourism satellite account pattern” for the period 2011 – 2015 which VNAT has assigned to Tourism Information Technology Center (TITC) to implement. In 2013, TITC compiled and published the book of “Viet Nam Tourism Statistics 2000 – 2012” in Vietnamese and English versions. This was the first official publication in tourism statistics with relatively comprehensive data and analysis, assessment of tourism statistical indicators.
Deputy General Director of VNAT, Ms. Hoang Thi Diep appreciated the assistance of EU Project in building the annual tourism report according to international practices. She also proposed EU Project, VNAT’s departments, Tourism Associations and Universities continue to contribute to improving quality of the annual tourism reports with the aim to provide valuable information for management in tourism sector.