Vietnamese and Saudi tourism companies sign cooperation agreement. (Photo: VNA) Riyadh (VNA) – The Ministry of Culture, Sportsand Tourism and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism signed an actionprogramme to boost the two countries’ tourism cooperation in Riyadh on October 19.
The signing was made within the framework of the ongoingvisit to Saudi Arabia of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Theprogramme, a joint initiative reached by Ministerof Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung and Minister of TourismAhmedA. Al-Khateeb at their meeting in Hanoi last August, covers measures toincrease the exchange and sharing of information, experience, statisticson the Halal market, tourist demand, tourism human resourcesdevelopment and training, tourism promotion events, and tourisminvestment opportunities in the two countries.
At the meeting withDeputy Minister of Tourism Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud, Minister Hung said that the Vietnamese PrimeMinister last February approved a project on strengthening international cooperation to buildand develop Vietnam's Halal industry until 2030. The project set out majornational orientations to open up the potential Halal market, in which tourism is consideredone of the priority areas, and Saudi Arabia one of the keypartners and markets.
Vietnam always wishes to boost international cooperation to build and develop the Halal tourism value chain tomeet the taste of tourists from the Muslim community. Vietnam also wants topromote its tourism in Halal markets like Saudi Arabia, he said.
He proposed Saudi Arabia help Vietnam in learningabout tourists’ demand and the Halal market, building standards and regulationson Halal tourism through transferring technology and introducing businesses of Saudi Arabia to invest and operate in Vietnam.
For her part, Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud highlyvalued Minister Hung's proposals, while affirming that the two countries are determined to promote tourismcooperation.
She said Saudi Arabia is considering the issue of e-visasto tourists from Vietnam, and the Ministry of Tourism will soon work with domestictravel and tourism companies to study and develop product packages that are suitable tothe taste of Vietnamese tourists.
She added that with the desire to promotetourism exchange with Vietnam by air in the near future, Saudi Arabia expects to have direct flights between the two countries.
Vietnam and Saudi Arabia signed an Air Transport Agreement in2019 to pave the way for the establishment of flight routes between thetwo countries.
According to Dang Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the Vietnam AirlinesCorporation, Vietnam Airlines and Saudi Airlines will conduct codeshareflights, thereby moving towards opening direct flights between the twocountries.
Nguyen Thanh Hung, Vice Chairman of Vietjet, saidthat with amarket of more than 34 million people of Saudi Arabia and 100 millionpopulation of Vietnam, the two countries boast great potential fortourism and air transportcooperation./.
