At the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, the Quang Nam - Da Nang - Thua Thien - Hue Tourism Development Link Cluster and the Viet Nam - Malaysian Friendship Association have recently organised a tourism promotion programme for these 3 Vietnamese localities ‘Magical Heritage Region’ to attract more tourists from Malaysia.

Representatives of the Tourism Promotion Centre of Quang Nam - Da Nang - Thua Thien - Hue and Chairman of the Malaysia - Vietnam Friendship Association (middle) sign a memorandum of understanding on communication cooperation and tourism promotion. Photo: VNA

Addressing the opening of the event, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Binh, the Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Tourism and Head of the Link Cluster, commented that 2023 marks the 50^th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relationships between Viet Nam and Malaysia, and is of great significance to the future development of relations between the two countries, including tourism cooperation.

The tourism promotion programme for Quang Nam, Da Nang and Thua Thien - Hue, called ‘Magical Heritage Region’, will open up an opportunity to share important updates on the recovery of tourist destinations in Central Viet Nam, especially after the severe impact of COVID-19.

This event is expected to help expand the potential market of international visitors, and Malaysia in particular, while further promoting the brand 'Magical Heritage Region' of Viet Nam.

Chargé d'affaires of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh affirmed that Viet Nam - Malaysia relationships over the past 50 years have always been continuously nurtured and upgraded to strategic partnership in 2015.

Meanwhile, tourism cooperation has also built a solid foundation through the signing of a government-level tourism cooperation agreement in 1994, the opening the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Office in Viet Nam, organising fairs and promoting tourism in both countries.

Malaysia is currently one of the 10 largest tourist source markets for Viet Nam. According to Ms. Anh, tourism cooperation between the two countries still has a lot of potential, and it is expected that cooperation in this field will develop even stronger, not only limited to the bilateral framework but also expanded in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

On the Malaysian side, Mr. Nigel Wong Chun Teim, Chairman of the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) is emphasised that the future of the tourism industry not only plays an important role for Viet Nam and Malaysia alone, but also in the whole ASEAN, which is most clearly demonstrated through the region's largest ASEAN Tourism Forum in early 2023 (ATF-2023).

However, what is more important is that Viet Nam and Malaysia always have the will to cultivate friendship and relationships between the two countries are increasingly growing strongly.

Mr. Nigel Wong Chun Teim affirmed that with its role in promoting tourism cooperation, MATTA is committed to continuing to provide policy support at the government level in tourism cooperation with ASEAN, and Viet Nam in particular. He also expressed confidence that tourism cooperation between the two countries as well as in the ASEAN region will continue to recover strongly in the future.

Within the framework of the event, many diverse and impressive tourism promotion activities were introduced to Malaysian partners through the display of tourism products and a slideshow introducing the seven most unique tourism products.

At the end of the event, the Tourism Promotion Centre of Quang Nam - Da Nang - Thua Thien Hue and the Malaysia - Viet Nam Friendship Association signed a memorandum of understanding on communication cooperation and tourism promotion to facilitate Vietnamese tourism products to penetrate more strongly into the Malaysian market.

The event was within the framework of the ITB ASIA, Asia's Largest Travel Trade Show, which is scheduled to take place in Singapore from October 25 - 27.

Reporting by https://baotintuc.vn/ - Translating by A.THU