Vietnam’s tourism potential and opportunities were highlighted at a seminar held at the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in Paris on November 16, as reported by VNA.
This is an event within the framework of Vietnam Culture and Tourism Week in France, organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Minister Nguyen Van Hung participated in the event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of establishing Vietnam – France relationship and 10 years of strategic partnership.
The event was attended by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang, Director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Trung Khanh, and representatives of travel firms in France.
 |
| Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung speaks at the seminar. |
In his opening remarks, Khanh emphasized the country’s abundant natural resources and culture, which have been utilized to promote sustainable tourism development.
He further mentioned that numerous Vietnamese destinations and tourism offerings have received high ratings from renowned travel sites and media giants such as the World Travel Awards, TripAdvisor, Telegraph, CNN, and BBC.
The promotion of travel between Vietnam and France has been facilitated by bilateral cooperation agreements and direct flights that connect major cities and travel hubs of both countries. The Vietnamese tourism sector has organized various promotional activities in France to enhance visitor exchanges between the two sides.
According to Khanh, the Vietnamese Government’s visa exemption for French visitors since 2015, along with the recent extension of visa-free stays to 45 days and streamlined immigration procedures, coupled with attractive tourism products and warm hospitality, create favorable conditions for tourism activities.
 |
| At the seminar to promote Vietnam’s tourism potential and opportunities. |
Expressing their desire to increase the number of French tourists to Vietnam, many French travel firms proposed measures to further develop Vietnam’s tourism not only in France but also in other markets.
Guillaume Linton, General Director of Asia Voyage, which has been organizing tours to Vietnam for the past 35 years, suggested inviting journalists, professional tour operators, and tourism partners to explore new tour options in Vietnam to gain a better understanding of the country’s cultural identity.
Meanwhile, Anoa Suzanne Dussol, Vietnamese Tourism Ambassador to France, expressed her intention to expand business and conference tours to attract more French enterprises to explore the northern mountainous areas.
She believes that the integration of culture, tourism, and enterprises will benefit all stakeholders.
During the forum, delegates witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between Vietravel’s branch in France and Vietnam Airlines, as well as between the Vietnamese Cultural Centre and the association for Vietnamese culture and tourism promotion in France and Europe.
 |
| Delegates witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between Vietravel’s branch in France and Vietnam Airlines; and the Vietnamese Cultural Centre and the association for Vietnamese culture and tourism promotion in France and Europe. |
The European Union remains a significant market for Vietnamese tourism, with 2.17 million tourists in 2019, accounting for 12% of the total number of visitors to Vietnam. French tourists to Vietnam reached 290,000, a 3% increase compared to 2018, ranking second among Vietnam’s largest international tourist markets in the European Union.
In the first 10 months of 2023, there were 169,820 French visitors to Vietnam. Currently, over 300,000 Vietnamese people are living and working in France, many of whom possess high professional qualifications and expertise, significantly contributing to the prosperous development of the host country.
Earlier, in the city of Toulouse, France, a scientific seminar on promoting the value of archaeological heritage and an exhibition entitled “From the Underground to the Museum: A Journey of Artifacts” were held by Thang Long-Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre.
These events were part of a cooperation project between Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, and Toulouse, a city in France, focusing on technical assistance to preserve and promote the values of typical urban heritage and archaeological relics at the royal citadel. The project has been launched since 2020 with funding from the French Development Agency and Toulouse.
Developing tourism in the Mekong River Delta region
NDO – The Prime Minister has approved the overall planning and a master plan for developing tourism in the Mekong River Delta region until 2020 with a vision extending to 2030.
Ke Ga Lighthouse
Ke Ga Lighthouse is located on Ke Ga Island, 300m offshore of the mainland, which belongs to Tan Thanh Commune, Ham Thuan Nam District, Binh Thuan Province. It is the tallest and oldest lighthouse in Southeast Asia.
Da Lat Teachers’ Training College
Da Lat Teachers’ Training College was built in 1927 near Xuan Huong Lake in the tourist city of Da Lat, Lam Dong Province. For centuries, the college has been an iconic architectural work of the city and attracted a huge number of tourists
DOC CAFE’- In Memory of Hanoi during the Subsidy Period
Doc (Poison) Café located in an ancient house on Trieu Viet Vuong Street in Hanoi attracts people with an atmosphere of repose from the past with old furniture and objects of the subsidy period, which are quite strange in the modern city.
Programme of National Tourism Year 2018 in Quang Ninh announced
NDO/ VNA – The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on September 22 announced the theme and activities of the National Tourism Year 2018, which will be hosted by the north-eastern province of Quang Ninh.
