UNDP provides aid for Vietnam's tourism development



Ha Noi, Jan. 2 (VNA) -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has provided USD 232,000 to help the Viet Nam Tourism Administration (VTA) to revise its master plan for tourism development in Viet Nam to 2010.

A team of national and international experts is working to update the master plan prepared by the VTA in 1995. The experts will develop change indicators for tourist sites in order to assess the impact of tourism on natural and cultural resources of Viet Nam.

Robert Glofcheski, UNDP Officer-in-Charge, said Viet Nam's natural and cultural resources are part of the nation's valuable heritage and a major tourist attraction. The UNDP-supported project to update the master plan aims to help Viet Nam effectively manage and protect these irreplaceable resources.

The revised master plan will focus on creating economic opportunities for the regions with economic difficulties, and developing small and medium tourism enterprises. It will also look to generate jobs, particularly in rural and mountain areas, thus ensuring the benefits of tourism flow down to the local community level.--VNA