Vietnam, China boost tourism cooperation

HCM City (VNA) – Vietnam and China sought to develop tourism cooperation at a seminar held in Ho Chi Minh City on September 6 as part of the 14th International Travel Expo (ITE).

The event was co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, and the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam.

More than 200 representatives from Vietnamese and Chinese travel agencies, airlines and localities participated in the function.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said Vietnam and China have favourable conditions to boost cooperation in tourism.

The two countries’ travel agencies have signed agreements to promote collaboration in this field, he noted.

The two sides have regularly held forums and dialogues to facilitate the travelling of tourists and improve the efficiency of tourism activities, as well as enable businesses to cooperate on the win-win basis.

Vietnam and China have also worked together to manage low-cost tours, ensure security and safety of destinations, and develop new products to meet the diverse demand of the market.

Charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam Yin Hai Hong said tourism has become the most direct and effective way to study Vietnamese culture, land and people.

Tourism plays an indispensable role in enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between Vietnamese and Chinese people, she added.

She hoped the two countries will continue exchanging ideas on such issues as customs clearance, designing tours, making use of tourism resources, and coping with emergency cases, as well as establish effective cooperation mechanisms and planning schemes for tourism activities.

Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Van Tuan said there is a considerable room for Vietnam and China to develop tourism cooperation, thus contributing to the reinforcement of the bilateral friendship.

He noted that China is among the leading tourism markets in Vietnam and vice versa.

At the seminar, businesses shared experience in promoting tourism activities, including the diversification of tourism products of Vietnamese and Chinese localities.

In 2017, Vietnam welcomed 4 million Chinese tourists, making up around 30 percent of the nearly 13 million foreigners to the Southeast Asian country.

China has always been an important tourism market of Vietnam over the past few years.

Meanwhile, an increasing number of Vietnamese have picked China as their favourite destination. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, 3.1 million Vietnamese travelled to China in 2016.-VNA