Decision No. 17/2018/QĐ-TTg stipulates the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Pursuant to …;

PROVISIONS ON THE FUNCTIONS, TASKS, POWERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE NATIONAL TOURISM ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM

Pursuant to the Law on Government Organization dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to the Tourism Law dated June 19, 2017;

Pursuant to Decree No. 123/2016/NĐ-CP dated September 1, 2016 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies;of the Government stipulating functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Home AffairsPursuant to the organizational structure of ministries and ministerial-level agencies;

Pursuant to Decree No. 79/2017/NĐ-CP dated July 17, 2017, of the Government stipulating functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism;

At the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism;

The Prime Minister issues this Decision to provide for the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the National Tourism Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Article 1. Position and Functions

1. The National Tourism Administration is an organization directly under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, performing the function of advising and assisting the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in managing state administration and enforcing laws related to tourism throughout the country, managing public services related to tourism in accordance with the provisions of the law.

2. The National Tourism Administration has legal personality, bears the seal in the shape of the State Emblem, maintains a separate account at the State Treasury, and has its headquarters in Hanoi City.

English name for transactions: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Abbreviation in English: VNAT.

b) Draft five-year and annual socio-economic development plans for the province; major economic and social balances for the province; draft five-year and annual plans, programs, projects, measures to organize and implement tasks related to socio-economic development, finance-budget, planning-investment, and other tasks within the scope of state management of the Department of Finance as prescribed by law;

1. Submit to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism for submission to the competent state agency:

a) Draft laws, draft resolutions of the National Assembly; draft ordinances, draft resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly; draft resolutions, decrees of the Government on tourism and other projects and programs assigned by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism;

b) Strategies, overall plans for tourism development; national tourism promotion programs; national action programs on tourism; important national projects, programs, and works on tourism; draft decisions, directives of the Prime Minister on tourism;

c) Signing international treaties, agreements on tourism in accordance with the law; permitting the establishment of representative offices in Vietnam of foreign tourism authorities, international and regional tourism organizations;

d) Applications for recognition of national tourist areas located across two or more provincial administrative units;

2. Submit to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism for decision:

a) Long-term, medium-term, and short-term plans for tourism development; tourism projects and programs;

b) Circulars, decisions on tourism; economic and technical norms for tourism;

c) Organizing surveys, evaluations, and classifications of tourism resources; guiding the implementation of national overall plans for tourism development, tourism regions, key tourism areas, and national tourist areas after approval by competent authorities; guiding the classification and recognition of tourist sites and areas; guiding the management of national tourist areas;

d) Applications for recognition of national tourist areas;

đ) Regulations on the protection, conservation, development, exploitation, and enhancement of the value of tourism resources and the protection of the tourism environment;

e) Standards for persons responsible for operating travel services, training content, refresher courses, examination organization, issuance of certificates for tour operation business skills; procedures and formalities for revoking travel service business licenses;

g) Service standards for tourists provided by other tourism service businesses;

h) Training content, refresher courses, examination organization, issuance of certificates for tour guide vocational skills; inspection content for tour guide vocational skills at inspection points; language proficiency standards;

i) Issuing guidance documents for the implementation of legal regulations on: Operating travel services and tourist accommodation; promoting and marketing tourism; tourism planning; developing and selling tourism products and other tourism services;

3. Assisting the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in directing, guiding, inspecting, and organizing the implementation of legal regulatory documents, strategies, plans, programs, and projects on tourism that have been approved by competent authorities.

4. Organizing domestic and international tourism promotion activities; coordinating regional and provincial tourism promotion activities according to the division of responsibilities by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

5. Organizing tourism conferences and seminars; researching, surveying, evaluating, and classifying tourism markets; proposing mechanisms and policies for developing tourism markets, products, and human resources; developing the national tourism brand.

6. Developing national technical standards and specifications for tourism to be decided by the Minister or proposed to the competent authority for publication in accordance with the law; building and guiding the use, exploitation, and management of the national tourism database; guiding and organizing the provision of tourism information at international border gates, tourist areas, and sites; applying information technology in tourism; organizing specialized statistical work on tourism.

7. Implementing and supervising the implementation of international treaties on tourism signed or joined by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, international agreements, and internationally funded tourism programs and projects in accordance with the division of responsibilities by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the provisions of the law.

8. Implementing tourism investment projects within the scope of authority assigned by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and in accordance with the law.

9. Managing and organizing the assessment, decision-making, and revocation of decisions on recognizing four-star and five-star tourist accommodations in accordance with the law; announcing lists of recognized tourist accommodations; guiding and inspecting the ranking of tourist accommodations by provincial tourism authorities; organizing nationwide inspections of tourist accommodation quality.

10. Managing and organizing the issuance, reissuance, exchange, and revocation of international travel service business licenses.

11. Managing the issuance of tour guide certificates in accordance with the law and the division of responsibilities by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

12. Receiving, handling, or coordinating with competent state authorities to handle complaints from tourists within the scope of the Ministry's functions and powers as assigned by the Minister.

13. Serving as the permanent body of the Tourism Vocational Certificate Issuing Council (VTCB) under the mutual recognition agreement of tourism professions among ASEAN countries.

14. Implement scientific research work, apply scientific and technological progress, and protect the environment in the tourism and tourism resource sector according to the分级 of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

15. Assist the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in managing the content of activities of associations and non-governmental organizations in the tourism sector as prescribed by law.

16. Carry out administrative reform in the tourism sector according to the administrative reform plan of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

17. Organize inspection work, coordinate with inspections, implement anti-corruption, thrift, negativity, and other acts of violating laws in the tourism sector as prescribed by law.

18. Organize competition and reward work in tourism activities according to the分级 of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and as prescribed by law.

19. Manage organizational structure, civil servant quota, job positions, staff structure by occupational titles, and the number of people working in public service units under the Tourism Administration; decide on rotation, transfer, appointment, dismissal, removal from office, retirement, resignation, rewards, and disciplinary actions; implement systems and policies, coordinate training and development for officials, civil servants, staff members, and those engaged in tourism work according to the分级 of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and as prescribed by law.

20. Manage finances, assets assigned, and organize the implementation of allocated budgets as prescribed by law.

21. Perform other tasks and powers delegated by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and as prescribed by law.

Article 3. Organizational Structure

1. Department of Planning and Finance.

2. Cadre and Civil Servant Department;

3. Department of Travel Agencies.

4. Department of Hotels.

5. Department of Tourism Markets.

6. Department of International Cooperation.

7. Office.

8. Institute for Tourism Development Research.

9. Tourism Magazine.

10. Tourism Information Center.

The units specified from Clause 1 to Clause 7 of this Article are organizations assisting the Director of the Tourism Administration in performing state management functions; the units specified from Clause 8 to Clause 10 of this Article are public service units under the Tourism Administration.

The Director of the Tourism Administration shall stipulate the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structures of the organizations and units under the Tourism Administration.

The Office has three departments.

Article 4. Leadership of the Tourism Administration.

1. The Tourism Administration has a Director and not more than four Deputy Directors.

2. The Director and Deputy Directors of the Tourism Administration are appointed, dismissed, rotated, and transferred by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism according to the provisions of law.

3. The Director of the Tourism Administration is responsible before the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the law for all activities of the Tourism Administration. Deputy Directors of the Tourism Administration are responsible before the Director of the Tourism Administration and the law for the areas of work they are assigned to manage.

Article 5. Transitional Provisions

The Tourism Newspaper continues to operate according to its charter and purpose as recorded in the press operation permit already issued until the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism implements the reorganization of press agencies according to the content and timeline approved by the competent authority.

Article 6. Effective Date and Responsibility for Implementationệ1. This Decision takes effect from the date of issuance and replaces Decision No. 23/2014/QĐ-TTg dated March 13, 2014, of the Government Chairman on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Tourism Administration under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

2. The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government agencies, Chairmen of provincial People's Committees directly under the central government, and the Director of the Tourism Administration shall be responsible for implementing this Decision./.

The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministers, the Heads of equivalent ministries, the Heads of government agencies, the Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees under the central government, and the Director of the Tourism Administration shall be responsible for implementing this Decision./.