Attending a conference on carrying out the ministry’s missions in 2021 on January 8, Dam said it should capitalise on information technology (IT) to tackle lingering issues.

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Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the conference on January 8.

“For example, if we don’t have tour guides that are able to speak less-common languages, we should introduce technologies such as voice-over and foreign-language translation systems for introducing tourist attractions,” he said.

He took the occasion to speak highly of the tourism sector, saying it saw impressive progress in growth and was among the fastest-growing in the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dam expressed the hope that the ministry will continue its efforts to contribute to developing Vietnam in a faster and more sustainable fashion, and make culture an important foundation and resource for development.

This year, the ministry will carry out flexible and uniform policies to recover domestic tourism and build plans to welcome international visitors after the pandemic is fully brought under control. It aims to cater to 80 million domestic travellers and earn 337 trillion VND (14.57 billion USD) in tourism revenue.

Involved agencies are preparing for the organisation of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) and the 11th ASEAN Para Games in Vietnam, and participation at the Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo, the sixth Asian Beach Games in China, and many other regional and international sporting events.

Cultural and art activities will be promoted in tandem with the preservation of traditional culture.

COVID-19 caused a range of problems for many companies and household businesses and also affected incomes, since many cultural and tourism events were cancelled. It also impacted on athletes’ training and competition, particularly the Olympic and Paralympic teams.

Source: VNA