Seminar on Tourism and Economic and Cultural Development in Vietnam - Laos Border Area

(baonghean.vn) - On August 18, in Ha Tinh city, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Laos, and the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province organized a workshop on tourism and economic and cultural development in the Vietnam - Laos border area. Attending the workshop on the Lao side were: Mr. Cha-lon Valin-tha-la-sak - Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, representatives of the leaders of the provinces: Bolikhamxay, Xieng Khouang, Kham Muon; on the Vietnamese side were: Mr. Ho Anh Tuan - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Vo Kim Cu - Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province, representatives of the General Department of Tourism, and leaders of the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces.

Lao Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Cha-lon Va-lin-tha-la-sak delivered a welcome speech at the workshop.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan stated that tourism activities in the border provinces of Vietnam and Laos are showing a favorable growth trend, bringing practical economic benefits, creating income, jobs and strengthening solidarity and friendship, cultural exchange, improving the material and spiritual life of people in the border provinces in particular and contributing to the development of the tourism industry of the two countries in general. At this workshop, experts, scientists, managers and organizations and enterprises are requested to actively discuss the role, potential, opportunities as well as obstacles and difficulties to find solutions to promote sustainable, high-quality and effective tourism development in the border areas of Vietnam and Laos, contributing to the economic and cultural development of the border areas to deepen the solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

Vietnam has 2,130 km of border with Laos, including the provinces of Son La, Dien Bien, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Nam, Kon Tum; corresponding to the other side of the border are the neighboring provinces of Phong Xa Ly, Luang Prabang, Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang, Bo Ly Kham Xay, Kham Muon, Xa Van Na Khet, Xa La Van, Xe Kong, At Ta Pu. With many international border gates and many famous tourist destinations, the border provinces have many favorable conditions for economic exchange and tourism development. The Vietnam - Laos border area is a road bridge connecting Vietnam's tourism with tourism in ASEAN countries, the GMS region and the world. However, according to the assessment of tourists and businesses, the policy system as well as tourism infrastructure still have many limitations and shortcomings, causing difficulties for road tourism as well as the attractiveness and stability of the two countries' tourism routes.

The presentations of delegates from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and its affiliated Departments and Institutes; leaders of the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector, and businesses in the provinces bordering Laos, after highlighting the potential and advantages of each province, pointed out the challenges and limitations that need to be resolved, thereby proposing many solutions to promote development in the coming time such as: strengthening cooperation in policy making to create favorable conditions for tourists to cross the border; cooperation in developing infrastructure and technical facilities for tourism; cooperation in travel activities, cooperation in tourism promotion and advertising; cooperation in training and developing human resources; cooperation in managing the exploitation and protection of resources and environment, etc.

With the theme "Current situation and solutions for cooperation in developing Vietnam - Laos border tourism in Nghe An", the presentation of the leader of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An emphasized that through conferences, seminars, fairs, meetings with the provinces of Xieng Khouang, Luang Prabang..., tourists from Laos to Nghe An and from Nghe An to Laos have continuously increased: in 2011, there were 52,500 visitors from Laos and Thailand, of which 17,500 were from Laos; in the first 6 months of 2012, there were 31,000 visitors from Laos and Thailand, of which nearly 14,000 were from Laos. Besides the achieved results, tourism activities in the border area between Nghe An and neighboring provinces still have many limitations and the biggest challenge for development is the level of labor as well as the proportion of laborers with professional and technical training is almost non-existent; People's awareness and understanding of tourism business and tourism product creation are still low; traditional production habits and consumption and self-sufficiency are common... Nghe An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism recommends that all parties increase information dissemination, linkage in tourism exploitation between travel companies, promote community tourism development... to continuously innovate and develop tourism activities between the two countries.

Summarizing the workshop, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho Anh Tuan highly appreciated the issues raised by the experts, and at the same time suggested that leaders of the provinces in the Vietnam - Laos border area need to study and consider the solutions and directions discussed at this workshop to have reasonable policies and strategies to strengthen the cooperative relationship between the provinces, through tourism to develop the economy and culture of the border area.

Xuan Hai