The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Vietnam National Administration of Tourism on May 6 discussed measures to maximise Vietnam’s values of culture and community to develop tourism.

Ass. Prof. Doc. Pham Trung Luong, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Institute for Tourism Development Research said that it was necessary to link cultural development with community, given it is an indispensable part of cultural heritage.

Community will be an active factor to contribute to preserving heritage, exploiting the domestic cultural values as well as diversifying tourism products, he said.

At the seminar, Vietnamese and Japanese tourism experts shared experiences through case studies in each country, giving a new approach to developing tourism in Vietnam.

Regarding this activity, a seminar on the values of ancient Duong Lam village will take place in Hanoi’s outlying district of Son Tay on May 7.

On the occasion, JICA and the National Cultural Heritage Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will launch a project on promoting the community’s role in sustainable development of heritages at the traditional villages of Duong Lam in Hanoi, Phuoc Tinh in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue and Dong Hoa Hiep in the southern province of Tien Giang from 2011-2014./.