A traditional festival in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA) Bangkok (VNA) - Vietnam's unique culture can be the strength for the country to attract foreign tourists, said Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Speaking with the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident correspondents in Thailand, Chattan said that Vietnam is developing very fast and when international tourists come to Vietnam, they can see a lot of things.
If Vietnam wants tourists to enjoy the time they spent there, the country needs to develop more infrastructure, particularly transport infrastructure, he recommended.
According to the Thai official, tourists are interested in the Vietnamese culture, so Vietnam should further promote it.
He also suggested Vietnam develop tourism in second-tier cities and smaller towns.
Sharing the same view, Songrit Pongern, a journalist and Thai cultural researcher who has been to Vietnam many times, said that Vietnam, with its diverse culture, has many festivals to introduce to international tourists.
He said that Vietnam can do the same as Thailand, for example, introducing popular festivals that foreigners can join in and have a good experiences. The Thai ethnic minority people in the North of Vietnam also celebrate the Songkran Festival (new crop festival) which should be further promoted, Songrit suggested.
According to Songrit, Thailand's tourism strength is that the country has long attached the promotion of culture to tourism promotion campaigns. Thailand actively promotes its festivals and encourages foreigners to learn about the cultural festivals held throughout the year. The most familiar Thai festivals to foreigners are the Songkran Festival in April and the Loi Krathong festival in November. The two festivals appear in every tourism promotion campaign in Thailand both at home and abroad.
He said the Songkran festival is also an occasion for Thai people to pray for a better life and to have the most joy. Therefore, the festival is loved by many foreign tourists and they want to have the opportunity to participate in the festival not only once but many times./.
