Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh attended the webinar. Photo: TITC

 

The webinar attracted the participant of representative of Government of Viet Nam, members of research institutions, socio-cultural organizations such as: Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), Vietnam - India Friendship Association (VIFA), Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Vietnam Institute of Indian and Southwest Asian Studies (VIISAS), Center for Indian Study (CIS), University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH), Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam (INCHAM).

 

They shared about India's development as a modern, independent nation and the India-Vietnam tie over the years; discussed ways to strengthen the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and its contribution to peace and prosperity in the region and the world.

 

 

Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh spoke at the webinar. Photo: TITC

 

Speaking at the webinar, VNAT's Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh shared about Vietnam-Indian tourism cooperation and people-people connection.

 

It can be said that Viet Nam and India tourism cooperation has developed fruitfully in recent years along with the development of traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership relation between the two countries. Viet Nam has continuously received huge support from India during the past time, even in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

 

By implementing the Government-level tourism cooperation Agreement concluded in 2001, many bilateral and multilateral cooperation and tourism promotion activities have been actively and effectively implemented by the tourism industry of the two countries with involvement of various authorities and associations, travel and hotel enterprises, carriers from both sidesas well as valueable support from the Embassy of Viet Nam in India as well as the Embassy of India in Viet Nam.

 

Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh also informed that Viet Nam has become an increasingly popular and favourite destination that isappealing Indian tourists with various types of tourism, including wedding tourism, beach leisure tourism, culture tourism, golf tourism and shopping tourism. Vice versa, India is anincredible destination chosen by many Vietnamese visitors not only for spiritual tourism, Buddhism tourism and medical tourism but also for other incredible tourism resources.

 

In the last 5 years, traveling between the two countries has been much facilitated. The two countries have granted e-visa for each other's citizens. Indigo Airlines and Vietjet Airhave opened direct flights connecting six major cities and key tourist destinations of the two countries, such as Ha Noi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City of Viet Nam; New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata of India. The national tourism agencies and Embassies of the two countries have actively promoted tourism and destination images of both countries.

 

Tourist exchanges between the two countries have increased rapidly. In the 2016-2019 period, Indian tourists to Viet Nam rose by an average of 25% per year and Vietnamese tourists to India climbed by an average of 17% per year. In the year 2019, the tourist flow reached nearly 200 thousand arrivals. In which, Vietnamese tourists to India reached nearly 30 thousand arrivals and Indian tourists to Vietnam reached about 170 thousand arrivals. This number is expected to reach 500 thousand arrivals by 2022 owing to about 5-hour direct flights.

 

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred globally, affected the travel andtourism industry severely, and disturbed all international travel plans since March 2020. Tourism cooperation and tourist exchanges between Viet Nam and India are also under common impacts.

 

Chairman Nguyen Trung Khanh emphasized that there is a huge opportunity for developing tourism cooperation between Viet Nam and India. However the challenge is also enormous. These require joint forces and synchronized actions by both sides to respond to the pandemic as well as to recover and develop in the new normal.

 

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