Prospects for Vietnam-Korea Cultural and Tourism Cooperation

The Vietnam-Korea Cultural Cooperation and Tourism Promotion Forum was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Vietnamese Embassy in Korea on June 30 within the framework of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to Korea marked a new development in tourism and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

According to Skyscanner's latest data, Da Nang ranks among the top 3 travel picks for Korean tourists in 2023, alongside Osaka (Japan) and Bangkok (Thailand)

Potential for tourism development

Vietnam and Korea have a lot of beautiful landscapes, rich cultural traditions and history, and many attractive tourist destinations. The former has eight world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO while the latter has 16. The strong development of economic, trade and investment relations has provided room to boost bilateral tourism and cultural cooperation.

Tourism cooperation has produced many significant outcomes. In 2023, tourist arrivals in each other country totaled more than 4 million, showing a full recovery and robust growth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first five months of 2024, this figure was nearly 2.2 million, 9% higher than a year-earlier period.

Speaking at the forum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the importance of sustainable, inclusive development and green growth in the world today. He said that culture is the driving force of sustainable development, helping global tourism grow again at a faster pace than forecast. In the current world, sustainable and inclusive development and green growth have become more urgent than ever for all countries. He also stressed that regenerative tourism and sustainable development associated with preserving and promoting cultural heritage, traditions and environmental values will be the key to the future of tourism.

Prime Minister Chinh witnessed the signing of eight cooperation agreements between Vietnamese and Korean partners at the forum. Notably, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and the Korea Tourism Organization signed a memorandum of understanding on tourism promotion cooperation in 2025-2026. The sides also inked a MoU on cooperation in developing high-end tourism and medical tourism services.

Orientation for sustainable tourism development

He introduced Vietnam's tourism development direction centered around the principles of "Distinctive products, Exceptional services, Streamlined procedures, Competitive pricing, Pristine and hospitable environments, Safety, civility, and friendliness." Vietnam is determined to develop tourism into a key economic sector and belong to the group of the top 30 globally competitive tourism destinations.

Prime Minister Chinh also asked Korea to support Vietnam in developing tourism and cultural industry, especially in perfecting institutions and policies, building infrastructure, training human resources and improving management capacity. He hoped that Korea will facilitate the establishment of the Vietnamese Cultural Center in Korea and encourage Korean businesses to invest more in tourism and cultural industry in Vietnam.

The Vietnam-Korea Cultural Cooperation and Tourism Promotion Forum opened many new cooperation opportunities and brought bilateral tourism relations to a new high. With support and close cooperation from Korea, Vietnamese tourism will certainly continue to develop sustainably, contribute to socioeconomic development and reinforce friendly relationship between the two countries.

By Giang Tu, Vietnam Business Forum