Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Doan Van Viet attends the ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting in Indonesia. (photo: VOV)

At the 26th ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting, Deputy Minister Doan Van Viet called ASEAN a multilateral tourism cooperation framework in which Vietnam participates extensively and effectively.

Vietnam has signed bilateral tourism cooperation agreements with every ASEAN member and has effectively implemented many short-term and long-term programs. ASEAN is Vietnam’s most important tourism market and partner. Multilateral cooperation within the ASEAN framework is an important part of Vietnam's international tourism cooperation.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Doan Van Viet (Photo: VNAT)

Mr. Viet said: “The Vietnamese delegation attended all activities, including agendas of the ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting. We promoted connections between ASEAN and China, Japan, South Korea, and new markets such as India and Russia. We worked with the UN World Travel Organization and the Asia Tourism Association on training personnel for Vietnam.”

During the ASEAN Tourism Forum, Vietnam attended the international tourism fair TRAVEX in Yogyakarta to promote the trademark "Vietnam-Timeless Charm" and the slogan "Live fully in Vietnam". The Vietnamese delegation introduced Vietnam National Tourism Year 2023 and tourism products to international reporters. Last year Vietnam welcomed 3.5 million foreign tourists, including 920,000 people from ASEAN countries.

The number of tourists from ASEAN has recovered about 45% compared to before the pandemic. This year Vietnam will receive ASEAN delegations to several tourism events, such as the Vietnam-International Travel Mart in Hanoi, the International Tourism Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City, the Hue Festival, and a series of events to celebrate National Tourism Year in Binh Thuan province.