Vo Tan Thanh, director of the VCCI’s HCM City office, told a conference on January 13 that there is huge potential for co-operation in tourism between Vietnam and India |
“Vietnam and India have similar spiritual and cultural features, and therefore Indian spiritual tourism destinations like Bodhgaya and Varanasi attract a lot of Vietnamese visitors.”
Despite the potential, the number of Vietnamese and Indian visitors visiting each other’s countries remains modest, the conference heard.
Bui Ta Hoang Vu, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, blamed this on the lack of information about each other’s markets.
To increase the exchange of visitors between Ho Chi Minh City and India in the near future, the city will constantly improve the quality of is tourism products and services and promote them, he said.
“We will also encourage people to go and discover ‘Incredible India’.”
His department and some tourism companies will attend a tourism fair in Mumbai in February to promote Ho Chi Minh City in India, he said.
Thanh suggested that the two countries should operate more direct flights to each other’s major destinations, develop suitable products for visitors, improve culinary services, simplify entry and exit procedures, and enhance cooperation in tourism promotion.
The conference was a good opportunity for businesses from both sides to meet, identify business opportunities, develop travel links, strengthen tourism exchanges, delegates agreed.
The conference titled Spiritual, Wellness and Medical Tourism to India was organised by the Indian consulate in Ho Chi Minh City and the VCCI.