A programme introducing Vietnamese cultural heritage and tourism development was held in Paris, France, on January 23, attracting the participation of dozens of French travel agencies.

The event was held by Vietnam Cultural Centre in France as part of a Vietnam tourism promotion campaign in Europe in the period from 2015 to 2017.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Nguyen Ngoc Son underscored the role of tourism in Vietnam’s economic development, adding that France is the top European market of Vietnam’s hospitality sector with 200,000 tourists travelling to Vietnam every year.

The results could be attributed to direct air routes from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city to Paris and the operation of the Vietnam Cultural Centre in France since 2008 which helps to tighten cultural and tourism cooperation between two countries, Son said.

He added that despite numerous challenges, Vietnam welcomed 7.87 million foreign vacationers and gained 230 trillion VND (10.9 billion USD) in tourism revenue in 2014, a 15 percent increase from 2013.

Travel agencies of France and Vietnam took the occasion to discuss their needs and ways to link their services, with a view to offering more tours and better services in the time ahead.-VNA