Travel agents in Vietnam - Integration and development

In recent years, Travel agents in Vietnam growth is relatively stable with an average speed at relatively high (20%), the market share of Vietnam's tourism in the region has increased from 5% in 1995 to over 8% in 2005, income from tourism increased by several times. This is a huge success contributed to the tourism industry became one of the major contributors to GDP.
1990-2000 period can confirm that breakthrough period in customers and revenue growth. International visitors increased by 9 times, from 250 thousand (1990) to 2.05 million (2000), domestic tourists increased 11-fold from 1 million to 11 million; tourism income increased nearly 13 times from 1350 billion to 17,400 billion. 5 years (2001-2005), although faced with many difficulties such as war, terrorism, SARS and bird flu, but by adopting bold measures timely, so visitors and the annual tourism income continues to grow 2 numbers. International tourists in 2001 reached 2.33 million in 2005 to nearly 3.47 million; domestic tourists in 2001 reached 11.7 million in 2005 reached 16.1 million; who travel the country Vietnam out in 2005 estimated about 900 thousand. Tourism development has contributed to increasing the proportion of GDP of service industries (particularly tourism GDP is about 4% of GDP, as measured by the UNWTO, the figure is about 10%). Travel agents in Vietnam is one of the few economic sectors in our country bring revenues over $ 2 billion / year. Over 10 years ago, Vietnam Tourism ranks as the lowest area, but until now this gap has been shortened, catching up and exceeding the Philippines, just behind Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. According to UNWTO, now Vietnam is one of the countries with growth rates highest tourism region and the world. In 2004, Vietnam Travel and Tourism Council World Travel World ranked No. 7 on the growth of customers in 174 countries and Vietnam is ranked in the top 10 world's top destinations.

Travel agents in Vietnam has emerged, gradually participate actively in the integration of international tourism; set up and expand tourism cooperation with many neighboring countries, countries in the region and the world; Register 29 Agreement on bilateral tourism cooperation with countries is key tourist market and the communication hub of international and multilateral cooperation travel the 10 ASEAN countries; already have an order with more than 1,000 vendors, including many large firms, more than 60 countries and territories. Tourism is a member country of the World Tourism Organization, Tourism Association of Asia-Pacific Tourism Association of South East Asia and promoting the role, maximizing membership benefits. Participate more actively in subregional cooperation in tourism, regional, inter-regional and the world. Thus has enlisted the capital, experience, technology, customer resources to develop and actively associated with the tourism sector and the world. Integration initiative is also evident in the implementation of policies based on comparative advantages (such as culture, food, raw materials, cheap labor ...) invested abroad, mainly dealing catering business in neighboring countries, Japan, Germany and the United States.However, in terms of absolute value, the scale of travel agents in Vietnam industry was young. The growth rate of employment in the sector continued at a lower level than the average growth of the region. The capacity of Vietnam's tourism companies are not commensurate with potential. 
Tourism products are not diversified and varied. We have many beautiful natural scenery and beaches are ranked the international level, but on the whole country, not a class resorts and have names such as Pataya, Phuket (Thailand), Sentosa ( Singapore), Bali (Indonesia), or Genting, Langkawi (Malaysia). This feature affects attracting the attention of tourists, not get a respite of customers in Vietnam, not an opportunity to increase spending by international tours in Vietnam.Human resources for tourism has not been systematically trained technical and professional skills. The capacity in foreign languages ​​and information technology skills and communication skills are limited. The tourism training institutions unevenly distributed, mainly concentrated in large cities. Despite the explosion in the number of travel companies in the country, but these companies of unfair competition on prices, reduced service quality, violating the requirements for licensure.