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| At a music show in Hoi An (Photo: VNA) |
The development of tourism associated with the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values has long been a long-standing policy of the Vietnamese Party and State. Even under the Strategy for the Development of Cultural Industries in Vietnam until 2020 with a vision to 2030, cultural tourism is affirmed as one of the cultural industries that requires investment and development. The strategy targets that cultural tourism will account for 15-20% of the total revenue of 40 billion USD from tourism by 2030.
In recent years, Vietnam has been honoured with the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) as a top world heritage destination, a leading cultural destination in Asia, and a top culinary destination in Asia. Many cultural tourism products and destinations with world cultural heritages have become significant highlights on the Vietnamese tourism map, such as the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh, the Complex of Hue Monuments in Thua Thien-Hue, My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An Ancient City in Quang Nam.
However, experts said Vietnam has yet to have quality cultural tourism products that match its potential.
Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, said cultural tourism products in Vietnam are often repetitive, limited in quality, lacking creativity and differentiation among regions and localities nationwide.
Vu Van Tuyen, CEO of Travelogy, said there are three major ways to increase the level of creativity in the building and marketing of cultural tourism products, including reproduction, simulation, and narration which aim to create more impressions and deeper experiences for tourists regarding the type of tourism product, through the use of imagery, models, stories, and historical cultural legends, whether real or fictional, in a reasonable manner.
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| A night tour of Thang Long Imperial Citadel (Photo: VNA) |
In order to effectively tap a tourism product, the involvement of the destination, local authorities, cultural and historical experts and tour agents is needed, he said.
From a macro perspective, Tuan said in order to develop cultural tourism, it is essential to pay special attention to conservation and restoration efforts to promote the values of cultural heritages, shaping and building the brand of each locality and the nation based on existing cultural foundations to attract the attention of investors and tourists both at home and abroad.
It is also important to upgrade tourism-related infrastructure and technical facilities, particularly in regions rich in cultural tourism resources but with slower socio-economic development. Additionally, it is crucial to uphold the role of the community and community culture in tourism development, ensuring a balanced benefit from tourism activities for the community, he said./.
Vietnam wins gold at European Physics Olympiad
According to VOV, Vietnamese students were awarded one gold, three silver, and one bronze medals at the European Physics Olympiad (EuPhO) 2023 that concluded in Germany on June 20.
Vietnam wins one gold, three silver, and one bronze medals at European Physics Olympiad. (Photo: Tienphong.vn)
The only gold medal went to Dang Bao Quan, a 11th grader of Phan Boi Chau High School for Gifted Students in the central province of Nghe An.
The three silver medals were went to Vo Minh Dang of Phu Yen province’s Luong Van Chanh High School for Gifted Students, Truong Phi Hung of Bac Giang province’s Bac Giang High School for Gifted Students, and Vu Tung Lam of Phu Tho province’s Hung Vuong High School for Gifted Students.
Elsewhere, a bronze medal was given to Nguyen Khai of Bac Ninh province’s Bac Ninh High School for Gifted Students.
This was the fifth time that Vietnam has participated in the competition as the guest team.
The EuPhO is an annual physics competition that has been held for high school students since 2017.
This year’s competition was held from June 16 to 20 in Germany, drawing the participation of 181 students from European and non-European nations.
HCM City’ tourism promoted in Thailand
According to VNA, the Ho Chi Minh Department of Tourism and the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand have freshly teamed up to organise a programme promoting the southern metropolis’ tourism charms in Bangkok.
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| At the event (Photo: VNA) |
The June 21 programme popularised tourist destinations in Vietnam and HCM City with a focus on the city’s wellness-related tourism products. Promotional video clips were screened and a business networking event took place as part of its course.
In his remarks, Ambassador Phan Chi Thanh said the countries’ tourism cooperation, including medical tourism, sees great potential and favourable conditions for development to benefit locals and international travelers.
The diplomat stated that HCM City is not only a leading economic and political hub but also a notable destination for medical tourism. With a modern and high-quality healthcare system, coupled with the continuous development of local health facilities, the city is expected to become an ideal destination for visitors seeking to improve their health and experience excellent treatments.
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| Ambassador Phan Chi Thanh speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) |
Vice Director of the municipal Tourism Department Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu said she hopes that with years of experience in building and designing tourism products related to healthcare and wellness, Thailand's hospitals, healthcare facilities, and tourism experts will share experiences and provide suggestions to support the development and improvement of Vietnam's nascent medical tourism products.
Ruben Toral, Director of Health & Wellness at QUO Global, said he believes that Vietnam has many advantages to develop medical tourism. However, there is still much work to be done in developing the related infrastructure and brands in order to find a unique path for future development, he noted.
Before Thailand, the HCM City delegation of more than 20 local travel agencies and hospitals, headed by Hieu, came to Phnom Penh for a similar promotion programme./.