Community tourism guide books are delivered to  villages' heads. (Photo: VOV)

Nguyen Van Tuan, Director General of the Vietnam National Tourism of Administration was speaking on Friday at a ceremony marking World Tourism Day 2014. Themed ‘Tourism and Community Development’, the event was hosted by the Administration in line with the EU-funded Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development program. Tuan said that if locals benefit from community-based tourism, the model will grow. He said: “Managers and experts should help local people understand their culture and the beauty of the local natural landscape and diversify tourist products to attract more visitors and generate more income for locals while raising public awareness of culture preservation. I hope Vietnamese agencies will work closely with international organizations to spread this year’s theme ‘Tourism and Community Development’ to every individual and community.”