Hoi An – popular destination for Japanese tourists

Hoi An ancient city, a world heritage site of Vietnam, is one of the hallmarks of Japanese culture that has been introduced to Vietnam since the 16th century. (Photo: VNA)

Among nearly 1 million Japanese tourists to Vietnam, 60-70 percent of whom come to Hoi An ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam, according to Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Vu Hong Nam.

Addressing a workshop on world heritage of Vietnam and UNESCO in Tokyo this week, the ambassador said Vietnam and Japan have shared a lot of cultural similarities from the past to the present.

Hoi An ancient city, a world heritage site of Vietnam, is one of the hallmarks of Japanese culture that has been introduced to Vietnam since the 16th century, marking a milestone for the development of the bilateral relations, Nam said.

He added that Vietnam and Japan are home to many world heritage sites, so there should be tourism projects to help promote both economic development and cultural exchanges.

Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs and UNESCO under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tran Quoc Khanh said Vietnam has 38 world heritage recognised by UNESCO, including eight tangible and intangible ones. This has attracted tourists from Japan and other countries, he said.

Vietnam expected to greet about 1 million Japanese holidaymakers in 2020, Khanh said.

President of the Japan-based World Heritage Academy Tadashi Sugaya noted with pleasure that the number of Vietnamese tourists to Japan has been on the rise in recent years.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO), Japan welcomed 40,800 Vietnamese vacationers in July 2019, a year-on-year rise of 21.8 percent.

The workshop attracted more than 100 representatives from Vietnamese and Japanese travel companies. Several Japanese firms sought tourism cooperation opportunities with Vietnam’s Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Quang Tri and Binh Thuan provinces after seeing their products showcased at the event./.

VNA