International Tourism Conference opens in Hanoi

More than 300 senior tourist officials from 17 nations and territories in the Asia Pacific region have gathered in Hanoi for an International Tourism Conference which opened on May 10.
The important event has been held for the first time in Vietnam by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In an opening speech, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said as a developing country, tourism development is essential for Vietnam to reduce poverty in mountainous and remote areas, create more jobs, improve people’s income and attract foreign currencies thus boosting socio-economic development.
Tourism development has helped Vietnam promote cultural exchanges, solidarity, friendship and mutual understanding between the Vietnamese people and international friends, providing a wealth of opportunity for cooperation, investment and economic development.
The Vietnamese Government’s due attention has been given to tourism development by the available potential to turn tourism into the country’s key economic sector.
UNWTO Director Taleb Rifai praised the Vietnamese tourism sector’s development over the past years in the face of the global economic downturn in 2009, which seriously affected the world tourism sector.
The conference served as a forum for tourism policy makers, experts and entrepreneurs to share information and experiences in tourism development to generate jobs, improve infrastructure facilities, reduce poverty in regional countries.
After the opening ceremony, delegates heard lectures from UNWTO experts and delegates from the Maldives, Pakistan and Vietnam.
On the occasion, the Vietnam Administration of Tourism and the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee introduced major activities to mark the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, including an exhibition on Hanoi’s fine arts and handicraft products.