Vietnam promoting tourism through cinema

International tourists visit the filming set of "Kong: Skull Island" in the northern province of Ninh Binh, in August 2019. (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

Blockbuster Hollywood films have made use of Vietnam’s world heritage sites as scenic backdrops. This has helped popularize the famous destinations of Ninh Binh and Hoi An. Recognizing the strength of the movies, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has chosen film tourism a key focus in their promotional efforts for 2024.

During the tourism promotion conference held in Hanoi on April 10, Ha Van Sieu, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, announced that the Vietnam Expo in Hollywood would be the highlight of the country's tourism promotion activities in 2024. This programme aims to promote tourism through cinema in the United States.

One of the main objectives is to organise three international tourism fairs in November 2024: The Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) in London, the China International Travel Mart (CITM) in China, and the ASEAN-China tourism fair.

Additionally, there are plans to introduce Vietnamese tourism in North America, Australia, China, Europe, ASEAN, and India.

The Vietnam Cultural Tourism Festival will be held in Japan and the Republic of Korea, while farm trips and press trips are scheduled for China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and India.

The highlight of the 2024 tourism promotion programme through cinema will be held in the United States.

The Vietnam Expo in Hollywood, scheduled for September 2024, was organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in collaboration with Indochina Productions USA, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, and Oxalis Adventure.

CEO of Oxalis Adventure Nguyen Chau A (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

Nguyen Chau A, CEO of Oxalis Adventure said the programme aims to showcase Vietnam's image to the global audience to ignite interest in visiting the country.

The event will feature exhibitions on Vietnamese cinema and tourism, highlighting the potential of Vietnam’s panoramas and policies towards international cinema activities. This is a perfect platform to connect with filmmakers.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong said that after the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism activities faced many changes. Therefore, the tourism industry must also change its approach and investigate new markets.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong. (Photo: Mai Mai/Vietnam+)

Assessing the current implementation of tourism promotion, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong recognized the ineffectiveness in the field due to limited resources.

Therefore, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism appealed for the involvement of localities and businesses to promote tourism activities on a national scale./.