Culture - Sports

Vietnam to host spiritual tourism talks

The first international conference on spiritual tourism will take place in the northern province of Ninh Binh’s Bai Dinh Pagoda on November 21- 22, said an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at a press conference in Hanoi last week.
The first international conference on spiritual tourism will take placein the northern province of Ninh Binh’s Bai Dinh Pagoda on November21- 22, said an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports andTourism at a press conference in Hanoi last week.

TheInternational Conference on Spiritual Tourism for SustainableDevelopment will explore ways in which living culture, traditions andbeliefs can be integrated into tourism while respecting the four pillarsof sustainability: environment, economy, society and culture.

Theconference, jointly-organised by the World Tourism Organisation(UNWTO), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ninh BinhPeople's Committee, is an initiative of UNWTO Secretary-General TalebRifai.

Rifai made a study tour to Vietnam last year,said the head of the ministry's National Administration of Tourism,Nguyen Van Tuan.

"He formed a good impression aftervisiting tourism spots in Ninh Binh province, particularly Bai DinhPagoda, a private-invested work," Tuan said.

The conference's discussion will focus on the significance of spiritual tourism, cultural exchange and responsible tourism.

Astatement on Spiritual Tourism for Sustainable Development will beapproved at the end of the two-day event, which expects to attractbetween 340-350 participants, half of whom will be from overseas.

"Culturalexchange and responsible tourism is a mode of exchange between peopleand people in different regions, and nations to better understanding andshare cultures," he added.

Tuan said that spiritualtourism reflects the tangible and intangible cultural heritage emanatingfrom temples, pagodas, religious structures and local customs.

Hesaid Vietnam will develop a variety of spiritual tourism lines suchas the triangular Hanoi- Ha Long- Ninh Binh tourism route.

Anothertour will target the Huong (Perfume) Pagoda ( Hanoi ), Bai Dinh Pagodaand Trang An tourism site (Ninh Binh), and Tran Temple (Nam Dinh).

Tourist destinations such as Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang Antourism have already been suggested as UNESCO world heritage sites. Inthe first nine months of this year, Ninh Binh received 9 millionvisitors, a year-on-year increase of 20 percent, the highest in thenation.

"Although tourism has not contributed the lion'sshare of the province's budget, it counts an important role in the localsocio-economic development," said Deputy Chairman of the provincialPeople's Committee Tran Huu Binh.

Tourism development hasgenerated jobs for tens of thousands of local people. Income of the poorhouseholds has significantly increased with a monthly income between4-5 million VND (190-245 USD).-VNA
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