VNAT to start first promotion programs abroad

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and tourism entrepreneurs on February 28 will start promotion programs in three ASEAN countries -- Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, an official said.

For one week, Vietnam’s tourism industry will promote Vietnamese culture and tourism and arrange meetings with foreign travel firms and tourism officials in Bangkok of Thailand, Kuala Lumpur of Malaysia, and Singapore, said Vu The Binh, Director of the Department of Travel under VNAT. He said the department was also completing preparation for activities in international travel fairs in other countries such as Germany and Russia.

“There are yearly events of Vietnam’s tourism. We are planning for big new events this year also, including one major event to replace the Impressive Vietnam program (that was successfully organized last year),” Binh said.

The Impressive Vietnam promotion program ended in December. Under the program, foreign tourists who bought package tours offered by local companies in the program received a discount of 30%-50%.

Binh said the department would meet with entrepreneurs in Hanoi on February 25 for further discussion about the detailed contents of the new program.

“I can’t say about details yet but the program will have a similar scale compared to Impressive Vietnam,” he said.

Binh said the department would launch the program as soon as possible if entrepreneurs and other agencies approved of it.

Together with VNAT, the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism is preparing for promotion programs in foreign countries.

According to the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside joining programs of VNAT, the city’s tourism will organize three roadshows in Japan and Cambodia in the first half of this year. There include two road shows in Tokyo and Osaka in late April and one in Cambodia in May or June.