The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism development cooperation between Hanoi and South Korea's Incheon during the Incheon-Hanoi MICE Tourism Conference on  November 12 marked an important step towards this goal.

The signing ceremony at the conference. Photos: Hanoi Moi Newspaper

The two cities will collaborate on promotional campaigns and facilitate tourism exchanges. They will also exchange information on the development of their respective tourism industries to ensure ongoing interaction and communication.

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Manh Than, Chairman of the Hanoi Tourism Association, said that this initiative is an important step forward, opening up effective cooperation opportunities and fostering closer ties between MICE tourism businesses in Hanoi and Incheon.

He added that the association is planning to organize a farm trip delegation to Incheon in the near future so that members can learn from and experience the quality tourism offerings in the South Korean city.

The chairman expressed his hope for a stronger link between the members of the two associations, which could expand and effectively utilize various sectors within the tourism industry. 

He also encouraged the Incheon Tourism Association to send business delegations to Hanoi and nearby provinces to explore potential cooperation and promote cultural exchanges for the further development of bilateral tourism.

“We are confident that with determination and cooperation from both sides, our partnership will positively contribute to the growth of the tourism sectors in both cities,” Than said.

Baig Hyeon, CEO of the Incheon Tourism Organization, announced that the city is implementing an Incheon tourism partnership program to revitalize the tourism sector, which has been struggling after the unprecedented challenges posed by Covid-19. This includes hosting large-scale events such as the Incheon Tourism Conference in Vietnam to showcase the city's cultural resources and exceptional travel conditions while promoting unique tourism products and fostering business networking opportunities.

He added that the Incheon-Hanoi MICE Tourism Conference, which was attended by 17 MICE companies and hospitals from Incheon, was instrumental in laying the foundation for cooperative development between the two cities.

An overview of the Incheon-Hanoi MICE Tourism Conference.

Discussing Incheon's medical tourism development plans for 2024, the CEO noted that the city has 102 medical facilities and 93 agencies that are fully capable of catering to foreign patients. To promote medical tourism, Incheon has organized conferences in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Thailand and Vietnam to provide information and discuss arranging farm trips.

He added that since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, exchanges between Vietnam and South Korea have steadily increased, focusing on tourism, culture, arts, business and trade. 

In 2023, approximately 420,000 Vietnamese tourists visited South Korea, making Vietnam the largest source of tourists from Southeast Asia and the fifth largest overall, he said.

In addition, the South Korean government has announced 2023-2024 as the Korea Tourism Year, which is expected to further increase Vietnamese visits to South Korea and strengthen tourism development between the two countries, according to the CEO.