The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hosted a conference in Ho Chi Minh City on November 28 on furthering tourism development in Vietnam, which according to most of the delegates was lagging far behind despite it being one of the most important economic sectors.
The conference was attended by 200 tourism businesses and representatives from the departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism from 15 provinces and cities in the southern region.
According to many of the delegates, the present law for tourism has become redundant and unrealistic in the present context and there is little or no coordination between localities for improving tourism facilities and services.
The land lease costs have increased phenomenally and investors are permitted to only construct over 30-35 percent of their total area. The remaining area is to be declared a green belt, i.e. for tree plantation. This has greatly deterred and discouraged investors.
Besides, Vietnam has increased visa entry fee from US$25 to $45 from January 1 next year. Companies believe this will have a negative impact on the already floundering tourism industry.
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