Meeting with UNWTO in training to improve the quality of tourism human resources

VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh discussed the current cooperation of both sides at the meeting with Mr. Harry Hwang - Deputy Director, Regional Department for Asia & the Pacific (UNWTO). Thereby, on 23rd February 2023, VNAT had coordinated with UNWTO Nara Office (Japan) and Binh Thuan Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to organise a Workshop on sustainable tourism destination management for businesses and communities in the area. This activity is approved in the framework of Organising the Visit Vietnam Year in Binh Thuan 2023. A similar workshop is expected to be jointly organised by the two sides in Ninh Binh Province (North Vietnam) in June 2023.

VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh at the meeting with Mr. Harry Hwang - Deputy Director, Regional Department for Asia & the Pacific (UNWTO)

Leaders of both sides discussed cooperation in organising the 17th UNWTO Asia/Pacific Executive Training Programme on Tourism Policy and Strategy to be held in Vietnam in November 2023.

This is an annual training course organised by UNWTO and sponsored by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, with the participation of managers at the National Tourism Agency of about 20 countries in the Asia-Pacific region (01 representative each country).

Since joining in 1981, Vietnam Tourism fully fulfils its financial obligations and actively participates in annual and international events organised by UNWTO to promote the image of destinations in Vietnam, and at the same time, use UNWTO's technical support as a good tool in planning, training, and developing legal documents…

Vietnam and Indonesia enhance cooperation in tourism promotion and tourist exchange

At a meeting with Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Mr. Sandiaga Slahuddin Uno, VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh stated a number of cooperation facts between the two countries, such as both signed a Government-level bilateral tourism cooperation agreement on 27th April 1994 and an agreement on ministerial-level tourism cooperation on 22nd February 2006. Airlines have operated three direct flights including Ho Chi Minh City - Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City - Bali and Ha Noi - Bali, creating favourable conditions for tourism.

Overview of the meeting between VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh and Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy

In 2019, Indonesian visitors to Vietnam reached 107,000 arrivals, up 21.3%; Vietnamese visitors to Indonesia reached 89,000, up 18% compared to 2018. The average Indonesian visitor stays in Vietnam for about 8.2 days and spends $140 per day, higher than the average when travelling abroad in general. The number of Indonesian visitors to Vietnam in the first three months of 2023 reached 20,911 arrivals, far from the level as before the pandemic.

Regarding promotion works, currently, VNAT has considered Indonesia as one of the potential source markets of Vietnam tourism. VNAT often organises promotional activities in Indonesia such as organising the annual Roadshow in major Indonesian cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung; welcoming Indonesian enterprises fam trip; In December 2017, Vietnam supported Indonesia to organise Roadshow in Ha Noi.

Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Slahuddin Uno gifting souvenir to VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh

VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh suggested that Indonesia supports Vietnam in researching and developing a system of restaurants serving Indonesian food and exchanging experiences in developing sea and island tourism and developing tourism human resources since these are Indonesia's strengths.

VNAT will actively promote the image and provide information related to Vietnam tourism in major cities of Indonesia; promote the diversity and reasonable prices of tourism products and services in Vietnam.

The potential for tourism cooperation between Indonesia and Vietnam is huge, affirmed Minister Sandiaga Slahuddin Uno. The two countries always support and actively attend each other's tourism promotion activities and events. Indonesia attended Vietnam's tourism marts such as the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) in Ha Noi and the International Travel Expo in Ho Chi Minh City (ITE-HCMC).

VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh gifting souvenir to Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Slahuddin Uno

At the meeting, leaders of both sides agreed to put an increase of attention to promote visitor exchange, strengthen cooperation, exchange experience in destination management, and attract investment. Indonesia and Vietnam will coordinate to develop tourism products suitable to the tastes of tourists of the two countries; organise promotion and advertising activities in Vietnam and Indonesia; support each other in promoting on tourism websites, national television channels and deliver to the people of the two countries about safe tourism. Encourage airlines to restore routes and operate new routes, especially the expansion of flight networks of Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet to Indonesia. Encourage the participation of airlines and businesses in the development and implementation of stimulus programmes.

On this occasion, VNAT’s Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh also had a meeting with leaders of Lotte Group of Korea.

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