Vietnam, Italy boost tourism ties

Rome, January 15 (VNA) – A workshop on Vietnamese-Italian tourism cooperation was held at the Altare della Patria Museum in Rome, Italy, on January 13. The event, part of the Vietnam Culture Week in Rome, was co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Culture and Heritage and the Italian Tourism Federation. Addressing the event, Vietnamese travel agency Vidotours gave participants an overview of the country’s featured tourism options, including national heritage sites such as the ancient capital of Hue, Thang Long imperial citadel, Hoi An ancient town, and My Son Sanctuary. Also at the workshop, national carrier Vietnam Airlines introduced their Italian partners to preferential options when flying to Vietnam from the European country. Event participants expressed strong appreciation for the tourism potential of Vietnam, highlighting the need to share experiences and promote tourism cooperation between the two countries. In 2013, only 50,000 of 7 million foreign arrivals to Vietnam were Italian nationals. Meanwhile, Italy, with 45 world cultural heritage sites, is one of the most attractive destinations for Vietnamese tourists.-VNA