Diplomatic representative agencies abroad help attract foreign tourists to Vietnam

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung co-chaired an online meeting with a number of Vietnamese diplomatic representative agencies abroad on strengthening cooperation to promote Vietnamese tourism in major markets.

Preparations are being finalised to reopen Phu Quoc island to tourists

Participants shared information on a pilot plan to open up Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province to international visitors, tourism promotion activities, and the connection of businesses to prepare for the full opening of the international tourism market.

Viet said that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has worked with localities and travel firms to prepare for the reopening of domestic tourism after COVID-19 is controlled. Currently, the tourism sector is finalising steps to receive tourists in Phu Quoc, he added.

He underlined that the tourism sector has received great support from diplomatic activities, with diplomatic representative agencies abroad serving as bridges connecting foreign tourists with Vietnam.

At the meeting, ambassadors and heads of Vietnamese diplomatic representative agencies in many countries such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the US, the UK, Germany, Spain, Russia, China and Malaysia, said that people in many countries are seeking safe and friendly tourist destinations with convenient immigration and quarantine policies for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19. They suggested that Vietnam should work with other countries on the mutual recognition of vaccine certification.

They recommended that the country should issue consistent procedures to welcome foreign tourists and quickly announce them, in order to ensure safety for both tourists and local residents.

Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Dung affirmed that the ministry and embassies and Vietnamese representative agencies abroad will continue to accompany with and support the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in implementing international tourism activities, first of all the reopening of Phu Quoc. The ministry has proposed the reopening of domestic and international air routes to Phu Quoc, he added.

So far, Kien Giang and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have agreed on the time to start the pilot plan to welcome foreign tourists to Phu Quoc, which is in late November. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has also built a tourism communication and promotion programme to invite more tourists to Phu Quoc, while making preparations to reopen the entire Vietnamese tourism market./.

VNA