Hanoi (VNA) – The Chinese Cultural Centre in Hanoi on May 19 held an exchange event celebrating China Tourism Day (May 19), aiming to promote the tourism and cultural strengths of Vietnam and China while enhancing cooperation and connectivity between travel businesses from the two countries.
The 2026 China Tourism Day highlights the importance of high-quality tourism and cultural products to enriching people’s spiritual life and leisure experiences, and reaffirms tourism’s role in fostering cultural exchanges, people-to-people ties and bilateral friendship.
Speaking at the event, Zhang Deshan, Director of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Hanoi, said 2026–2027 has been designated as the “China – Vietnam Tourism Cooperation Year”, describing it as a landmark initiative expected to inject fresh momentum into bilateral tourism links and deepen friendship between the two nations.
He said the initiative reflects a shift towards more substantive, effective and mutually beneficial tourism cooperation between Vietnam and China.
Tourism exchanges between the two countries have expanded steadily in recent years, with a growing number of Vietnamese travellers to Chinese destinations such as Guilin, Lijiang, Zhangjiajie and Tianchi Lake, and Chinese tourists continuing to favour Vietnamese destinations including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long Bay, Da Nang and Nha Trang.
According to Zhang, tourism cooperation has not only created memorable travel experiences for people in both countries but also contributed to strengthening bilateral ties.
He added that May 19 also marks the birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh, who travelled extensively across China during his revolutionary activities, including visits to Guangzhou, Guilin, Kunming and Hong Kong. Historical sites associated with the late Vietnamese leader have been preserved and are now being incorporated into themed tourism routes under the programme “Following President Ho Chi Minh’s footsteps”. China is also improving tourism services linked to these sites to attract more Vietnamese visitors interested in exploring the historical legacy of President Ho Chi Minh.
Statistics from the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism show that China remained Vietnam’s largest source of international visitors during the 2011–2020 and 2024–2025 periods. In 2025 alone, Vietnam welcomed more than 5.28 million visitors from mainland China, accounting for roughly one-quarter of all international arrivals. During the first four months of 2026, Chinese arrivals in Vietnam surpassed 1.85 million out of a total 8.8 million international visitors.
Vietnam, meanwhile, ranks among the top five sources of foreign visitors to China.
Truong Quoc Hung, Chairman of the Hanoi UNESCO Travel Club, described China as one of the world’s most dynamic tourism markets, attracting visitors not only with its landmarks but also with its cuisine, culture, arts, smart tourism services and modern cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing.
He noted that China’s development of green tourism, eco-tourism, night-time tourism and digital cultural tourism is helping shape emerging travel trends across Asia.
The 2026–2027 period is expected to create new opportunities for localities, travel firms and investors from both countries to jointly develop high-quality tourism products, especially in railway tourism, border tourism, cultural tourism and youth-focused travel./.
