Vietnamese tourism was introduced to nearly 100 representatives of travel firms, hotels, aviation companies and media of the Republic of Korea (RoK) at a workshop in Gwangju city - one of the biggest economic, cultural and education hubs of the RoK - on October 10.
Vietnamese artists and delegates to the workshop introducing Vietnamese tourism
in Gwangju city on October 10
The Vietnamese side highlighted the achievements in tourism promotion between the two countries, along with cooperation prospects in the future.
Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the Department for International Cooperation of the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST), said people-to-people exchange between Viet Nam and the RoK dated back nearly 900 years when princes of the Ly Dynasty in Viet Nam arrived in the Korean Peninsula to settle down, and their descendants have always acted as a bridge linking the two nations’ cooperation and friendship.
With time-tested connections, similarities in history and culture, complementary economies, and joint efforts by the two countries’ governments and people, bilateral relations have witnessed considerable attainments in various spheres, he added.
The workshop was an occasion for Viet Nam to introduce its tourism products, attractive destinations and tourism investment chances to businesses and media of Gwangju.
At the event, Vietnamese Tourism Ambassador to the RoK Ly Xuong Can (Lee Chang-kun), who is a descendant of the Ly Dynasty, delivered a speech about Viet Nam’s tourism. Budget carrier Vietjet Air also presented the flights linking the two countries.
This is the 10th year the MCST has organised events to promote Viet Nam’s culture and tourism in Gwangju.
Also on October 10, the MCST delegation, led by Nguyen Trung Khanh, had a meeting with Chairman of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council Kim Dong-chan.
Kim said the RoK always considers the Southeast Asian nation a good friend and an important market.
He affirmed that the Gwangju administration will give the best possible conditions for Viet Nam’s cultural, sports and tourism activities, as well as the 15,000 Vietnamese people living in the city.
Over the past years, the RoK has continually been one of the three biggest sources of foreign tourists to Viet Nam, surpassing 2.5 million in the first nine months of 2018. The number of Vietnamese visiting the RoK has also been on the rise, reaching over 350,000 in 2017.