Vietnam and Guangxi seek for closer tourism cooperation

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) met Chinese Guangxi Tourism Department on July 27 in the framework of bilateral cooperation between the two governments, marking the 60th anniversary of Vietnam – China diplomatic ties and the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi.
At the meeting, mutual interest issues were discussed, including reinforcing tourist promotional cooperation, resolving difficulties in and simplifying administrative procedures, facilitating tourism development between Vietnam and China, Guangxi in particular.
According to Mr. Vu The Binh (VNAT’s Travel Department), Guangxi is endowed with attractive landscape, being the gateway for visitors from Vietnam and other ASEAN nations to China by land. The Vietnamese government and the tourism sector have facilitated Vietnamese travellers and foreign tourists transiting via Vietnam to China. In the past years, the tourist arrivals from Vietnam to Guangxi have exceeded those from Guangxi to Vietnam. Binh, therefore, suggested Guangxi Tourism Department to cooperate more tightly with the VNAT and Vietnamese local tourism authorities, aiming at balancing the tourist flows between the two sides.
To improve service quality and ensure benefits of travellers, the VNAT has so far permitted 10 national-leading travel firms to receive land travellers from China to Vietnam via border gates. And the number would increase in conformity with the increase of tourist flows from China to Vietnam.
Mr. Binh also recommended Chinese travel firms to add more tours in their programmes, especially tours to the Central and the South of Vietnam; to speed up caravan travel.
Vietnam tourism is making efforts in promoting some main source markets including China. In the coming time, the VNAT will organise a roadshow in Beijing and launch promotional campaigns in some Chinese cities and provinces.
According to the vice head of Guangxi Tourism Department, Vietnam is an important market to Guangxi. In 2008, the province had spent 66 billion Chinese yuan in tourism development; drawing 2 million international tourist arrivals, of which Vietnamese tourists accounted for 10-20%; tourist receipts totaled 54 billion Chinese yuan. Guangxi has shaken hands with some Vietnamese localities as Hanoi, HCM City… for tourism development. Guangxi Tourism Department would propose the Chinese government and relevant agencies to simplify some administrative procedures to facilitate Chinese tourists to Vietnam. He also hoped for closer cooperation between the two sides in promotional activities, bringing the relationship to a new height.