The Vietnam Tourism Promotion Forum, aimed at strengthening India-Vietnam tourism cooperation, will take place on December 14 in New Delhi, India. 

Is is one of the first Indian tourists to Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province on September 9. Photo: Vietjet

The event is jointly held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The forum will focus on flight connections and promoting special types of tourism, including culinary, wedding, MICE, golf, leisure and film. It is expected to also be an opportunity for regulatory agencies and businesses of the two countries to share information, thereby increasing bilateral tourist exchange between Vietnam and India.

As part of the activities, Vietnam Days in India will also be held from December 12 to 14, with a photo exhibition "Vietnamese Vitality" on the beauty of Vietnamese culture, country and people, a presentation of Dong Ho's folk paintings, a performance of ethnic musical instruments, screenings of video clips promoting Vietnamese culture, art and cuisine. 

The Vietnam Days program also features a 3D digital exhibition on Vietnamese lacquer art, a demonstration of video game “Lac Viet Phieu Luu Ki” (An Adventure through the Land of Lac Viet) and art performances at the Magical Night organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

India is an important and potential market for the Vietnamese tourism industry as the number of Indian visitors to Vietnam has been on the rise following the full reopening of Vietnam to tourism since March 15, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

In November, Vietnam welcomed 27,000 Indian arrivals, an increase of 31% compared to the previous month and 50% higher than the same period in 2019, according to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam.

The total number of Indian visitors to Vietnam reached 109,000  during January-November, ranking 9th in top ten source markets and posting an average monthly growth rate of  49% in 2022.

Launching ceremony of Danang - India flights on October 18. Photo: the Danang City Department of Tourism

According to VNAT, the results are attributed to the Vietnamese tourism industry's aggressive promotion programs in the Indian market and direct flights between major cities in the two countries.

Recently, to reach the target of welcoming five million foreign tourists this year, VNAT is targeting new niche markets such as India and the Middle East.

Currently, Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and Indigo (India) are operating dozens of air routes between the two countries. In June, Vietnam Airlines officially opened an air connection between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and New Delhi. 

Meanwhile, Vietjet operates 17 routes from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang City, and Phu Quoc Island to New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Bangalore.