The event themed “Sustainable Development Linkage” was organized by the People’s Committees of HCMC and Phu Tho Province following the success of conferences on boosting cooperation in tourism between Ho Chi Minh City and 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region in last December and another of the development of tourism linkages between HCMC and neighboring cities and provinces in the Southeast region held in Tay Ninh Province in June.
Attending at the event were Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam; Chairman of the People’s Committee of HCMC, Nguyen Thanh Phong; Secretaries of Party Committees of Phu Tho, Dien Bien, Son La provinces, Bui Minh Chau, Nguyen Van Thang and Nguyen Huu Dong; and representatives of central and local departments and units.
Within the framework of the program, leaders of HCMC and 8 provinces, including Phu Tho, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Son La and Yen Bai signed an agreement on tourism development cooperation in the 2021-2025 period; and an implementation plan of association activities and tourism development cooperation.
Heads of tourism associations of localities signed an agreement on offering policies of preferential price, building tourist products and supporting the promotion of products with airlines.
The event also included an online forum collecting opinions of tourism development, welcoming ceremonies to greet visitors of tourist programs launched by HCMC and provinces in the Northwest region, the introduction of tourist products of the southern hub and northwestern localities.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee, Nguyen Thanh Phong said that the northwestern region with a thick layer of historical tradition, cultural diversity, and unique grandiose mountain landscape has the potential of religious and ecological tourism development. While HCMC with more than 300 years of development has become the most modern and dynamic city in the country. The Vietnam’s busiest commercial center is home of the largest airport, Tan Son Nhat and over 1,500 travel firms. The city yearly attracts nearly 10 million international visitors for its key tourist products and services, such as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism; shopping, leisure, food, entertainment destinations.
He highlighted the importance and significance of the connection that will create opportunities for both sides to support each other, create specific tourist programs and develop tourism.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam noted the biggest problems are traffic infrastructure and tourism overload that create negative impact of tourism development. Localities should develop sustainable tourism that necessitates trans-regional cooperation among local authorities, he advised.
Participants attend an area displaying local products.
Chairman of the People’s Committee of HCMC, Nguyen Thanh Phong enjoys local specialties.
