Vietnamese, French localities seek to deepen collaboration on culture, tourism

About 18 provinces and cities of Vietnam have set up relations and cooperation projects with localities of France, many of which prove effective. Notably, the collaboration between Hanoi and Paris and Toulouse, Lao Cai and Thua Thien - Hue with the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, Yen Bai with Val de Marne, the Grand Poitiers urban community with Thua Thien - Hue. These are typical pairs of partners at the local level in the fields of cultural, heritage and tourism cooperation.

According to leaders of Vietnamese localities, over the years, cooperation projects in the field of heritage conservation and promotion have created a good premise for the development of the cultural industry. Specifically,  there has been cooperation with French localities on cultural exchange and restoration of cultural heritage, tourism development in Thua Thien - Hue province. Currently, the central province has dozens of collaboration projects with French localities, contributing to preserving and promoting heritage values and developing cultural industries.

Romain Mignot, Vice President of Grand Poitiers Urban Community, said that Thua Thien - Hue province and the Grand Poitiers Urban Community Authority are implementing the Harmonie project for 2022-2023 period. The project promotes arts education as a means of absorbing a shared and diverse culture and develops civic education through the arts with the aim of forming responsible, creative citizens who are aware of cultural diversity.

Many cooperation projects with France have been implemented in the capital city of Hanoi. The Ile-de-France region helped Hanoi build the preparation dossier for Thang Long Imperial Citadel to be recognised as a World Cultural Heritage and provided feedback on Hanoi’s development plan for Hanoi and Co Loa Citadels as well as assisted Hoan Kiem District People's Committee in carrying out a project on zoning public space and piloting eco-riented management of green space in Hoan Kiem district.

Toulouse city worked with Hanoi to renovate the traditional house at No. 87 on Ma May Street and Dong Lac Village Temple.

Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Do Dinh Hong said the city authorities hope to continue receiving support from French authorities, including the French Embassy in Vietnam and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values and in the building of a creative city of Hanoi.

Other provinces of Vietnam such as Yen Bai and Lao Cai have also set up cooperation with French localities, enabling them to foster sustainable tourism development.

Through the discussion sessions, Vietnamese localities wished to continue expanding decentralised cooperation with French organisations, especially strengthening relationships with traditional partners who have experience in culture development, tourism, heritage value promotion, and human resources training.

They also expected that the French Embassy in Vietnam and French organisations and localities will pay more attention to collaboration in the fields of culture, heritage, tourism, and the development of cultural industries.