Hanoi seminar looks to reinforce tourism links with France
A seminar was held by the Vietnam - France Friendship Association of Hanoi on September 23 to seek ways for fostering tourism ties between the two countries.
It was part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the countries’ diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.
Nguyen Thai Dung, vice chairman of the friendship association, said Vietnam’s tourism sector has actively participated in many international cooperation activities, including in tourism, with France and obtained encouraging results.
The seminar was an occasion for travel companies to review tourism cooperation results, explore the countries’ tourism potential, examine obstacles to tourism development, and propose policies for fostering tourism links, thereby helping make breakthroughs in economic partnerships and popularise images of the two countries and their capital cities among businesses in the sector, he noted.
Vice Chairman of the Hanoi Tourism Association Le Ba Dung said the number of visitors from France, an important market of Vietnam’s tourism, to the Southeast Asian country as well as Hanoi has been increasing. However, the growth in the tourist number has yet to match the countries’ potential and advantages.
To enhance Vietnam and Hanoi’s attractiveness to French holidaymakers, more effective promotion measures are needed, he opined, recommending new tourism products be created, traditional communications channels maximised, digital technology and social networks applied, cooperation with tourism partners and airlines fostered, and support for tourists increased.
To Vietravel Hanoi, the strong connections between Vietnam and France provide good conditions for tourism development, job creation, and the expansion of tourism companies, hotels, restaurants, and other firms in both countries.
Le Thuy Nhung, a representative of Vietravel Hanoi, said travel between Vietnam and France doesn’t simply mean the movement between the two countries but promises experiences of the diversity and uniqueness of their cultures, cuisine, nature, and histories. It will enable tourists to not only see but also experience, learn, and connect with people in each other’s countries, helping tighten bilateral friendship and cooperation.
