VN signs tourism deals with neighbours

 

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh andhis counterparts and deputy ministers from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand,and Laos — the five nations make up AMECS — agreed unanimously tocontinue tourism co-operation and work to attract tourists from withinand outside the region.

They agreed to co-ordinate to create trans-border tours anddevelop human resources, the latter in preparation for the ASEAN MutualRecognition Agreements on the free flow of skilled labour.

Anh signed off on co-operation plans with Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar that will act as the foundation for future tasks.

The plans will focus on tourism exchanges, facilitatingtransportation, regularly exchanging information about tourism policiesand products, developing human resources in tourism and establishingworking groups to ensure the efficiency of joint promotional activities.

Last year Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam togetherreceived 19.6 million international visitors, a 11.4 per cent rise from2013. Sixteen per cent of the visitors were from the AMECS – orAyeyawaddy-Chao Phraya Mekong Economic Co-operation Strategy, referringto the sub-region – member countries.

Thailand, which is yet to sign any agreement with Viet Nam, welcomed almost 25 million visitors.

Viet Nam is one of the most important tourist markets for Cambodia and Laos like Cambodia is for Viet Nam’s.

Myanmar stands out as an interesting new destination, achieving the most impressive growth in the region.

The foreign dignitaries at the meeting included the LaoDeputy Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism ChareuneVarinthlasak, the Myanmarese Deputy Minister of Tourism and Hotels SaiKyaw Ohn, the Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon and the ThaiMinister of Tourism and Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul.

They are in the country for the three-day annualInternational Tourism Expo HCM City that opens today at the SaigonExhibition and Convention Center in District 7.

US interest

On the same day, a seminar was held by the American Chamberof Commerce (AmCham) in HCM City to discuss whether the city couldbecome a hotpot of the global MICE (Meetings Incentives ConventionsExhibitions) industry.

Herb Cochran, Executive Director of AmCham Viet Nam, said aco-operation between the state and private sector would open manyopportunities for the country’s tourism to develop.

He also said that in the AmCham Viet Nam community, therewere quite a number of firms doing business in tourism, aviation,payment services and so on. These firms hoped to be engaged further inViet Nam’s tourism sector, particularly in MICE tourism.

Statistics from the Viet Nam Tourism General Departmentshowed that revenue from MICE tourism is four to five times higher thanthat of other tourism forms.

Nguyen Duc Tri, Dean of School of Tourism – University ofEconomics Ho Chi Minh City, said it required a long term objective anddetailed process to foster MICE tourism in the city.

VN signs tourism deals with neighbours

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