Paris conference looks to help restart Vietnam - France tourism links

Thien Minh Group and Vietnam Airlines held a conference in Paris on June 21 with a view to boosting trade and tourism links between Vietnam and France after the COVID-19 pandemic was controlled.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang said the Southeast Asian country has long been an attractive destination for French tourists, and the full resumption of international flights since March 15 has led to a growing number of arrivals to Vietnam.

The reactivation of tourism is currently a major priority of Vietnam so as to contribute to post-pandemic economic recovery and growth, he said, noting that following the Government’s decision to fully restart trading and tourism activities, a large number of international tourists, especially French and other Europeans, are showing their intention to revisit Vietnam.

Pham Thi Nguyet, acting head of the marketing division of Vietnam Airlines, said the national flag carrier is taking the lead in restoring international flights and planning to resume its entire domestic and international flight networks in 2023.

Vietnam Airlines wants to join domestic and foreign travel companies to attract tourists back to Vietnam, she said, adding that it always views France as one of the five key markets.

Elodie Courzadet, director for business development at the Thien Minh Group, said the company, which provides experience tourism and hotel services in Asia, has received many orders and bookings for the year-end holiday.

Everything is now in place, she went on, adding that she thought the number of visitors by the end of this year may still be lower than in 2019, before the pandemic broke out, but will gradually increase from 2023, and the prospect is promising.

The Paris conference was part of a series of events held by Thien Minh, Vietnam Airlines, and partners to promote Vietnamese tourism abroad.

The previous events took place in London (the UK), Singapore, Frankfurt (Germany), San Francisco (the US), Tokyo and Osaka (Japan), and Seoul (the Republic of Korea). The last destination of these activities is Sydney (Australia)./.

VNA