The event is part of the ongoingVietnamese Tourism-Culture Festival 2014 hosted by THE Vietnam NationalAdministration of Tourism in the cities of Seoul and Gwangchu.
Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh andVietnamese Ambassador to RoK Pham Huu Chi co-chaired the event.
The forum was attended by the Director of Korea Tourism Organisation,Byun Choo Suk, and representatives from Korean tourist agencies.
Speaking at the forum, Minister Anh highlighted Vietnam’s substantialtourism potential and its ecosystem diversity and landscapes, sayingthat the country possesses a rich cultural identity similar to the RoK,as well as a great number of tangible and intangible cultural heritagerecognised by UNESCO.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Chi said the twopartners share a potential for cultural exchange, while expressing hisbelief that cooperation between the two countries’ tourism sectors wouldprovide services low in cost but high in quality for Korean tourists.
The Vietnamese diplomat suggested the host come up withincentives and visa policies to encourage Vietnamese tourists to visitthe country.
In the past five years, Korea has become Vietnam’ssecond largest tourism market. Statistics showed that the number ofKorean tourists to Vietnam surged significantly, from 450,000 arrivalsin 2008 to 700,000 in 2012, up by 12 percent each year.
In 2013alone, Vietnam welcomed 750,000 Korean tourists, whilst 2014’sJanuary-August period recorded 550,000 Korean visitors to Vietnam, up 9percent compared to the same period last year.-VNA