Tourism businesses from Hanoi and Nanning, China, signed a cooperation agreement on August 13 at the "Old Friend Nanning" tourism promotion event in Hanoi to develop travel products between the two cities.

The signing ceremony. Photo: Le Nam/The Hanoi Times

Chinese tourism holds great promise for Vietnamese tourists, especially those from Hanoi, said Tran Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department, during the event. Traveling from Vietnam is easy because the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where Nanning is located, shares a border with Vietnam, while Hanoi, Vietnam's major tourism hub, makes China accessible to visitors by air and land.

In the first half of 2024, Hanoi welcomed more than 241,000 Chinese visitors, accounting for 11.4% of the total international arrivals. In 2023, the city received 4.72 million international tourists, with nearly 276,000 coming from China, representing 8.3% of the total.

From the Chinese side, Zhang Zhenyu, Deputy Director of the Nanning Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism, emphasized that Vietnam is the largest and most important source of tourists for Nanning and one of the top outbound destinations for its residents.

He reported that cultural and tourism cooperation between Nanning and Vietnam has thrived this year. Tour operators have resumed international bus routes from Nanning via Pingxiang to Hanoi and routes to Ha Long, in addition to flights to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Nha Trang.

At present, 45 travel companies in Nanning are actively engaged in the Vietnamese market, enhancing mutual tourist exchanges. In the first six months of this year, Nanning received about 300 groups of Vietnamese tourists.

"We hope that Vietnamese travel agencies will intensify their efforts in the Nanning tourism market and use it as a gateway to expand into the broader Chinese travel market," Tran Trung Hieu said.

Speaking at the event, Do Xuan Nguyen, Deputy General Director of Hon Gai Tourism and Service JSC, emphasized that the agreement helps tourism enterprises in Hanoi and Nanning to develop joint travel products, encouraging more Chinese travelers to choose Hanoi as a destination. It contributes to the sustainable growth of the tourism sector.