Promoting Vietnam tourism and cuisine in Thailand

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu, Vietnamese
 Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh and delegates

On 27th September 2022, in Thailand, Vietravel Group (including Vietravel Holiday and Vietravel Airlines) and The Vietnam Culinary Culture Association organised Seminar on promoting Vietnam tourism and cuisine. The event aims to promote tourism cooperation and exchange visitors between Vietnam and Thailand after opening.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh and delegates taking souvenir photo

Attending the event were Mr. Phan Chi Thanh, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand, Mr. Ha Van Sieu, Vice Chairman of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT); Mr. Tran Doan The Duy, Vice Chairman of Vietravel Group; representatives of Tourism Authority of Thailand; Thai and Vietnamese tourism enterprises and news agencies.

Giving a remark at the seminar, VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu said, this seminar is one of the first Vietnam tourism promotion events to be held in person in Thailand since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, demonstrating the efforts and determination of Vietnam and Thailand agencies and businesses in actively promoting the development of multifaceted relations between the two countries.

Thailand, so far, has been one of the leading essential tourism markets, expected to thrive in the coming years. In addition, Thailand is Vietnam's largest trading partner in ASEAN with the import-export turnover between Vietnam and Thailand reaching the highest level in recent years. Thailand is also one of the favourite destinations of Vietnamese tourists, emphasised VNAT’s Chairman Ha Van Sieu.

In terms of tourism cooperation, VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu affirmed that direct flights connecting major cities and tourist centres of the two countries; transparent entry and exit procedures; attractive tourism destinations and products with warm and hospitable people are ideal conditions to promote tourism development between the two countries.

Tourism agencies of the two countries have organised many promotion activities such as: Coordinating in organising survey teams, caravans, market launching programs, participating in each other's international tourism fairs, and other activities promoting the exchange of visitors between the two countries.

Overview of the event

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu congratulated Thailand on reopening tourism on 1st July 2022 after 2 years of being heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. On the Vietnam side, tourism activities have fully restored from 15th March 2022 under new normal conditions. Currently, international visitors to Vietnam do not need to submit a medical declaration, nor be tested for COVID-19, or isolated.

According to Vietnamese General Statistics Office, in the first eight months of 2022, international visitors to Vietnam reached over 1.4 million arrivals; 486.4 thousand arrivals in August 2022 alone, an increase of 38% compared to July 2022. Also, in August, Thai visitors to Vietnam reached 21,500 arrivals showing that is one of the markets with a rapid recovery of Vietnam tourism.

During the recent Covid period, Vietnam tourism has accelerated restructuring and refreshing many new and diverse tourism products and destinations such as Ha Long, Sapa, Thua Thien Hue, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Da Lat, and Phu Quoc. In addition, opening more flight routes such as Bangkok-Da Lat, Bangkok-Can Tho, and Bangkok-Phu Quoc creates new attractions to attract tourists. Up to now, Vietnam's tourism has recovered and quickly returned as before the pandemic, especially domestic tourism, said VNAT’s Vice Chairman.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu speaking at the seminar

According to VNAT’s Vice Chairman, this seminar is an excellent opportunity for Vietnam and Thailand tourism businesses to share information, move towards business cooperation, and develop two-way tourism between Vietnam and Thailand in the context of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, preparing for a new phase of more robust development.

Also, VNAT’s Vice Chairman stated a number of suggestions to be interested in agencies and businesses of the two countries: 

1. Simplify immigration procedures, prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic, creating more favourable conditions for people of the two countries to travel to each other, and visitors from third countries to travel to the two countries;
2. Coordinating and supporting Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and localities in organising tourism introduction activities in Thailand;
3. The Vietnam Embassy in Thailand and the Royal Thai Embassy in Vietnam will act as a bridge for activities to seek business cooperation opportunities and promote development. Actively participate in and coordinate with the National Administration of Tourism to organise national tourism promotion programs in Thailand;
4. Travel businesses and airlines need to promote business cooperation, share profits, and promptly propose to the tourism agencies of the two countries to remove difficulties and create favourable conditions for the exchange of tourists between the two countries.

*Tourism Information Technology Center
Tags: VNAT, VNAT’s Vice Chairman, Ha Van Sieu, Vietravel, Thailand, seminar, promotion, tourism, cuisine,