The Spanish Government has agreed to provide 400,000 EUR in non-refundable aid for Vietnam to enhance tourism sector capacity.

An agreement to this effect was signed by Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan and Spanish Ambassador to Vietnam Fernando Curcio Ruigómez in Hanoi on Nov. 29.

Funded via the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the project will be implemented in the northern provinces of Lao Cai, Dien Bien and Ha Giang from 2011 to 2012.

It aims to develop Vietnam’s tourism in a sustainable manner, raise awareness of tourism managers at central and local level about the role of tourism, diversify tourism products and effectively exploit the value of Vietnam’s landscapes.

Earlier, Tuan and Ruigómez discussed tourism in each country and cooperative possibilities in the fields of human resource training, tourism promotion and technical assistance.

Last year, 29,600 Spanish visitors came to Vietnam, up nearly 40 percent from 2009./.