Vietnam should amplify cultural and tourist promotion activities in Japan as this East Asian country has become one of its leading tourist market with 400,000 arrivals annually, said a senior tourist official.

These activities will be held not only in Japan ’s capital city of Tokyo but also in other big cities, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh told the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Tokyo on June 24 during his working visit to Japan .

Numerous cultural similarities between the two countries was the reason for Vietnam to elevate promotional programmes in Japan, the minister said, adding that he found many Japanese people have considered Vietnam as their favourite tourist destination.

Referring to the two countries’ eventful cultural exchanges in recent years, the minister advised Vietnamese travel companies to carefully research the taste of Japanese visitors to better meet their needs.

Earlier, Minister Anh attended the Vietnam Culture-Tourism Festival, which aimed to promote Vietnam ’s tourism in Japan as well as mutual understanding between the two countries’ people.

He said Japan has lent a helping hand to Vietnam ’s cultural and tourist promotion activities, especially in organising this festival. At present, the East Asian country is assisting Vietnam in preserving and restoring a great deal of cultural and historic relics.

During his visit from June 22-24, Minister Anh held talks with the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Seiji Maehara, and the Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Masaharu Nakagawa.

Joining the country’s effort to advertise tourism in Japan , the central city of Da Nang and the national flag carrier, Vietnam Airlines, plan to organise road shows in Tokyo and Osaka this September on the occasion of the JATA World Tourism Congress and Travel Fair in Japan./.