Promoting Quang Ninh - Japan tourism connection

Japan is one of the important international tourism markets of Quang Ninh province, but the number of visitors coming and staying in the province is not commensurate with its potential. Therefore, Quang Ninh is actively promoting diplomatic relations with Japanese localities, developing links, attracting investment and training tourism human resources.

 Sapporo City tourists visit and enjoy Quang Ninh's OCOP products at the Vietnam Festival in Sapporo in 2022. Photo: Viet Anh

According to information from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the average number of Japanese visitors staying in Quang Ninh is estimated at 2% of the total international visitors staying in the province. In 2019, there were nearly 50,000 visitors; During the 3 years affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of visitors was still quite modest. From the beginning of 2023 until now, Quang Ninh has welcomed nearly 8,000 Japanese tourists. Therefore, Quang Ninh province always attaches importance to developing tourism cooperation with Japan, combining promotional activities and introducing the province's tourism products in meetings and working with Japanese partners.

Quang Ninh has also cooperated in tourism development with a number of Japanese localities, including Tottori province. The two localities are both members of the East Asia Inter-regional Tourism Forum (EATOF). Accordingly, the two provinces have implemented cooperation contents within the framework of the Forum such as: Sharing information on tourism development; exchanging working delegations and businesses, conducting market surveys; create conditions for travel agencies from both sides to meet and learn about cooperation. Quang Ninh province sent a delegation to attend the 18th EATOF Standing Committee Conference (2017) and the 16th EATOF Congress (2018) in Tottori province. In October 2022, Quang Ninh province hosted the 17th EATOF Congress with the online participation of Tottori province and EATOF member provinces. In addition, the province has also proactively organized Japanese tourism promotion programs in localities: Kanagawa, Hokkaido and Tokyo.

In particular, within the framework of the Vietnam Festival program in Sapporo (Hokkaido province, Japan) in 2022, from September 8-13, Quang Ninh has a booth displaying images introducing tourist attractions and landscapes. natural landscape, culture, people, typical OCOP products of the province and investment environment in Quang Ninh. Along with that, the Quang Ninh province delegation had a working session with authorities and travel businesses of Hokkaido province on promoting the establishment of flights connecting Shin Chitose airport (Hokkaido) and Van Don airport. (Quang Ninh) aims to connect the two provinces more closely in trade activities, economic development and tourism.

Mr. Tsuchiya Shunsuke, Deputy Governor of Hokkaido province, said that: Quang Ninh and Hokkaido have many similarities in tourism, which is favorable for investment cooperation between the two sides. Quang Ninh's infrastructure is also invested synchronously and methodically, which will be very convenient for investors coming to Quang Ninh to do business. Mr. Tsuchiya Shunsuke said that Hokkaido province wishes to cooperate closely with Quang Ninh province in fields such as tourism, education, culture, trade and affirmed that Hokkaido province will create all conditions for promotional programs. Tourism promotion, cultural exchange, and training links between universities in Quang Ninh and Japan are taking place most smoothly.

To promote cooperation and tourism development with Japan, Quang Ninh province has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pay attention, create conditions to help, and introduce connections for the province to expand cooperation with localities and businesses. Japanese industry. Specifically, create conditions for Quang Ninh province to participate in investment, trade and tourism promotion activities and events hosted or jointly organized by central agencies in Vietnam and Japan. Besides, supporting image promotion, tourism promotion, attracting Japanese visitors to Vietnam, including the destination of World Heritage - Natural Wonder Ha Long Bay. At the same time, connect, introduce and call on Japanese businesses to explore investment cooperation opportunities in the field of tourism with Quang Ninh province; create conditions for mechanisms and policies to soon open direct flights between Van Don International Airport and airports in Japan.

Regarding investment to promote tourism development, the province will coordinate to organize activities to encourage businessmen from both sides to increase exchanges on business cooperation opportunities; Encourage and support Japanese investors who wish to invest in the tourism sector in Quang Ninh such as: tourist accommodation facilities, high-class, high-quality entertainment areas... to fully meet the needs needs and tastes of Japanese tourists. This exchange opportunity can be through events, tourism fairs, survey groups or through introductions of investment promotion agencies, tourism promotion agencies... between Quang Ninh and Japan. Quang Ninh Province commits to creating favorable conditions for Japanese investors to learn about, research the market, make investments, and develop tourism products. Especially the products and services of island tourism, night tourism, tourism associated with cuisine, eco-tourism, golf tourism, and health care tourism are considered potential strengths of the company. Quang Ninh Province.

Regarding Hokkaido province, Quang Ninh province hopes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will create conditions and have appropriate policies for Quang Ninh businesses to cooperate with Hokkaido province businesses and organize tourism programs to Hokkaido such as: Priority policies charter flights connecting Chitose airport (Hokkaido) and Van Don international airport (Quang Ninh). Quang Ninh province pledged to coordinate and submit to competent authorities and create favorable conditions to establish and deploy connecting flights between the two provinces. In the long term, the two provinces will actively coordinate to promote the opening of fixed flight routes connecting the two localities.

According to Ms. Nguyen Huyen Anh, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, Quang Ninh and Hokkaido have a lot of potential to exploit and promote tourism development between the two localities. In the coming time, the Department will continue to advise the province to coordinate in promoting tourism, actively introducing and promoting the destination image of the two provinces on mass media and on other platforms. digital platforms, as well as at cultural, sports and tourism events that both sides attend domestically and internationally. Along with that, the two sides will introduce groups of reputable travel businesses or tourism associations to carry out the work of promoting and introducing tourism images. The two sides will also have coordinated programs to support the training of high-quality human resources for the Quang Ninh tourism industry, and consider the possibility of granting scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate training in Tourism in Hokkaido for Quang Ninh, as well as supporting training links between schools and tourism training facilities in the two localities.

Duong Ha