It was co-hosted by Thu Dau Mot University (TDMU) in BinhDuong and the University of Science, Malaysia (USM) in Penang.
Addressing the event, TDMU rector Nguyen Van Hiep briefedparticipants on an overview of Binh Duong, which is located in the southern keyeconomic area and becoming the fastest-growing locality in Southeastern region.
Binh Duong is among the country’s key FDI magnets.However, the development of tourism has yet to reach the local potential as theprovince welcomed over 200,000 foreign visitors last year, Hiep said.
At the workshop, participants from both sides introducedtourism potential in Binh Duong and Penang, where the two universities base.Penang was honoured as a World Heritage City by UNESCO, which is home to aseries of cultural, architectural heritage, craft villages, and recreationcentres.
The participants got updates on foreign tourist arrivalsfrom Muslim-majority countries. In 2017, Vietnam welcomed over 400,000travellers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Middle East who mostlystayed in Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta provinces. Only a few of themtravelled to Binh Duong though the province is just 30 km away from Ho Chi MinhCity.
Via international tourism, mutual understanding inculture and tourism between the two countries will be enhanced, said Prof.Badaruddin Mohamed, Principal Researcher of Sustainable Tourism ResearchCluster, School of Housing, Building and Planning, the USM.
At the end of the event, a cooperation programme wassigned between the Tourism Development Study Institute at the TDMU and theSustainable Tourism Research Cluster at the USM.-VNA