Portuguese city aims to boost tourism cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City

Duong Ngoc Hai, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, welcomes Ricardo Valente, Deputy Mayor of Porto (Portugal). (Photo: VNA)

During the meeting, Mr. Hai welcomed Ricardo Valente's visit, expressing confidence that this visit would serve as a foundation for new collaborative projects and activities between the two cities in the near future. This will contribute to the effective implementation of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the two cities in 2023.

He noted that Porto is a world-renowned tourism city, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City is a special urban area and a leading economic and cultural hub of Vietnam, with tourism being one of its key sectors. Therefore, the city's leadership hopes that tourism companies from both sides will enhance exchanges and share experiences in developing products and promoting tourism.

Particularly, with its advantages and potential in historical and cultural heritage, he expressed a desire for Porto to encourage businesses to support, share expertise and transfer technology for heritage conservation and restoration to Ho Chi Minh City. This will foster stronger cooperation, and cultural and economic exchange between the two cities.

In addition, the city’s leadership expressed a desire for both sides to enhance collaboration in organizing trade fairs to connect businesses and promote products to strengthen commercial relations. They also suggested sharing experiences in innovation and entrepreneurship with Ho Chi Minh City.

Ricardo Valente praised the Ho Chi Minh City 2024 Friendship Dialogue and Economic Forum, stating that it is an excellent approach to boost investment cooperation in Ho Chi Minh City. He also mentioned that Porto and Ho Chi Minh City could enhance tourism development cooperation in the future. Currently, more Portuguese citizens are traveling to Vietnam, and Porto is collaborating with a Vietnamese airline. The city may provide financial support to this company to further promote tourism cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City in the coming time.

Moreover, the two cities could further strengthen cooperation in the economic sector, given the similarities in the structure and development orientation of local businesses, especially in the field of innovation. Porto’s businesses hope to use the partnership with Ho Chi Minh City as a gateway to access the Southeast Asian economic market.

Emphasizing the bilateral relationship between the two cities and between Vietnam and Portugal, Ricardo Valente announced that by the end of 2025, the Vietnamese Embassy in Portugal will be inaugurated. This is a significant event that will further strengthen the diplomatic relations between the two countries in the near future./.