“A soulful Viet Nam” – a Vietnamese tourism promotion event - was held in Washington D.C., the US, the Southeast Asian country’s fifth largest tourism market, on September 19.
Trave firms of Viet Nam and the US seek partnership at the event
The event is the biggest of its kind Vietnam has held in the US in 15 years, drawing 35 domestic travel and hospitality firms such as Saigontourist, Typic Travel, Asia MBC and Gia Linh Travel.
It was attended by Nguyen Van Tuan, Director of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism; Ann Chamberlin, Senior Vice President for Membership, Strategic Partnerships and Marketing of American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA); Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngoc; and several American travel firms.
According to VNAT Director Nguyen Van Tuan, following Washington, the event will head to New York.
The event is part of efforts of Vietnamese tourism sector to diversify its market and lure more foreign visitors who stay longer and spend more in Viet Nam, he said.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Ha Kim Ngoc said Viet Nam has great tourism potential thanks to the natural beautiful landscapes across the country as well as its hospitable people.
In recent years, the Viet Nam-US relationship has grown strongly in all fields, including tourism, he noted, adding the number of US tourists to Viet Nam has increased through years, but has yet to match the potential of both sides.
The Northern American market, including Canada and the US, is one of the leading markets in Viet Nam’s tourism strategy thanks to the high spending of tourists. Moreover, Viet Nam and the US have long-term historical links, an advantage for Viet Nam in luring US visitors.
During the event, Viet Nam's beautiful destinations were highlighted, such as the UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage site of Ha Long Bay, Phong Nha-Ke Bang cave system and the cuisine and culture of Viet Nam.
It was also a chance for Vietnamese firm to seek partnerships and learn from their US peers.
Following the event, an ASTA delegation is scheduled to visit Viet Nam to promote tourism cooperation.
The number of US tourists to Viet Nam has risen more than 10 percent annually in the past several years, reaching 614,000 in 2017.
Viet Nam expects to welcome more than 1 million US visitors each year by 2020.