Vietnam and Indonesia ramp up tourism co-operation

Upon addressing the event, Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia Sandiaga Uno highlighted the tourism co-operation potential between the two countries, adding that the event will further contribute to introducing Indonesian tourism to the Vietnamese market, thereby attracting more Vietnamese tourists to Indonesia moving forward.

Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi emphasised the need to strengthen tourism connectivity and to introduce destinations such as Da Nang, Ha Long, Sa Pa, and Phu Quoc in Vietnam; along with Indonesia's Danau Toba, Candi Borobudur, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo, and Likupang in order to fully tap into tourism potential of both sides.

Paul Edmundus, chairman of the Indonesian Inbound Tour Operators Association (IINTOA), said that apart from the "resort paradise" of Bali, or other popular destinations such as Yogyakarta or Jakarta, the association has designed new products for Vietnamese tourists as they seek to increase their experience and expand their journey with a diverse range of destinations.

For example, Lombok is an ideal place for a honeymoon vacation and it is situated only 25 minutes away from Bali, while Komodo island is located just a one hour flight from Bali.

Most notably, the Komodo island tour will take visitors to gain more insights into the life of the famous Komodo dragon.

For his part, Truong Quoc Hung, chairman of UNESCO Hanoi Travel Club, expressed his belief that with the strong recovery of outbound tourism in Vietnam recently will mean that Indonesia will continue to be a popular destination for many Vietnamese tourists.

Phung Xuan Khanh, director of Tien Phong Travel Company, said both sides have actively launched direct flights, noting that open visa policies, will create favourable conditions to attract Indonesian tourists in the coming time.