Vietnam, Laos fortify long-held cultural, tourism ties
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong held a working session with Deputy Chief of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee Office Khampha Phimmasone in Vientiane on December 10.
A focal point of the discussion was the Lao-Vietnam Friendship Park project in Vientiane. Both sides exchanged updates on its planning and design phases, paving the way for future construction.
Later, they conducted a field trip to the park's site sprawling 30,653 sq.m in Dongmakkhai village, Xaythany district. Envisioned as a vibrant hub for entertainment and community events, the park will also house the headquarters of several Lao ministries in line with the capital's expansion master plan.
On December 9, Cuong met with Lao Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Suansavanh Viyaket, during which they reaffirmed their commitment to the Vietnam-Laos cultural, art, and tourism cooperation plan for 2021-2025. A highlight of this collaboration will be the Lao Culture Week in Vietnam scheduled for next year.
The two sides pledged to hold scientific seminars and friendly exchanges celebrating the special Vietnam-Laos relationship, and collaborate with border localities to host events like the Vietnam-Laos border cultural, sport, and tourism exchange festival, aiming to foster interaction between ethnic minority communities and preserve their traditional culture.
They will continue with the bilateral Government-level tourism cooperation agreement and other sub-regional tourism development plans and strategies, work closely together on the second phase of the tourism infrastructure development project for inclusive growth in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), and build a coordination mechanism to fully tap the outcomes of previous inter-regional tourism projects as well as regional tourism cooperation initiatives such as ASEAN, GMS, and Mekong-Lancang.
To enhance cross-border travel, the two nations will explore new flight routes to attractive destinations and facilitate tourist movement. They will also leverage digital technology for tourism promotion, and encourage businesses and localities to develop unique tour packages, with a focus on cross-border tourism products.
