Vietnam and Bulgaria should promote tourism investment and cooperation towards signing a new cooperation plan to replace their cooperation agreement in the field inked in 2006.

This was agreed at the first round-table conference to discuss ways to expand tourism cooperation which was jointly held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Embassy in Vietnam in Sofia on August 5.

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria Le Duc Luu said the two countries have seen a traditional friendship and cooperation in the past 63 years, especially in the field of politics, which serves as a sound momentum to boost their bilateral cooperation in various areas in the time to come.

However, the tourism and business cooperation between Vietnam and Bulgaria still fails to reflect their potential and political ties, added Ambassador Luu.

He also noted that Bulgaria is of great potential and strength in tourism, welcoming 10 million tourists a year, which paves the way for the two countries to intensify the cooperation in the field.

In strengthening tourism cooperation, the two sides should further implement specific measures in line with each other’s law and international regulations, said participants at the workshop.

Specifically, both sides should enhance delegation exchanges and cooperation to step up investments and managements for the development in this sector.

Delegates also agreed that the two countries’ tourism associations should establish a working group to foster bilateral cooperation in the field, promoting research on each country’s tourism market and exchanges of relevant data and legal documents.

The conference also raised suggestions to bolster tourism promotion and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese and Bulgarian travel agents to increase investment and business cooperation.-VNA