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On the afternoon of March 2nd (local time), as part of his visit to Spain, at the headquarters of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Madrid, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang met with Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UNWTO.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang met with Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UNWTO, at the organization's headquarters in Madrid. Photo: VGP
At the meeting, the UNWTO Executive Director expressed his pleasure in welcoming Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang to UNWTO, highly appreciating the close cooperation between UNWTO and Vietnam, and expressing his admiration for Vietnam's achievements in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, its dynamic socio-economic development, and sustainable tourism in recent years; he also emphasized the positive assessment of Vietnam by international tourism organizations as a preferred destination for international tourists.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang welcomed the important role of UNWTO and its Executive Director in promoting global tourism recovery to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development, gender equality, education, job creation, and rural development; and thanked the UNWTO Executive Director for her support in promoting UNWTO cooperation and assistance to Vietnam's tourism industry, especially in tourism planning, tourism product development, legal document drafting, and capacity building.
Both sides shared insights on the impact and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global tourism industry, the opportunities and challenges for Vietnamese and global tourism in the coming period, and discussed measures to promote cooperation between Vietnam and UNWTO.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested that UNWTO strengthen cooperation with Vietnam, select Vietnam to host several UNWTO events; provide technical support on digital transformation, application of information technology to develop a smart tourism ecosystem, statistical work, climate change response, positioning and developing Vietnam's national tourism brand; and support the training and development of tourism human resources through scholarships for participation in intensive training courses and sending international experts to attend and share experiences at conferences and seminars hosted by Vietnam.
Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic stated that UNWTO is considering the possibility of organizing a major international event in Vietnam at the end of 2023 and affirmed its continued support and partnership with Vietnam in the recovery and development of the tourism industry towards sustainable development. Photo: VGP
The UNWTO Executive Director highly appreciated Vietnam's active and responsible participation in UNWTO; shared concerns about the difficulties faced by Vietnam's tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific region, which has been most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; affirmed that Vietnam has enormous potential for tourism development and is a preferred destination for citizens of many countries; positively acknowledged Vietnam's proposals, stating that UNWTO is considering the possibility of organizing a major international event in Vietnam at the end of 2023; and affirmed its continued support and partnership with Vietnam in the recovery and development of the tourism industry towards sustainable development, including support in digital transformation, human resource development, and capacity building in tourism management and coordination.
Research is being conducted on opening direct flights to Spain.
On the same day, March 2-3, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang met with the Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto.
Both sides agreed to continue implementing the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) effectively, striving to increase bilateral trade to 5 billion USD in the near future.
Both sides agreed to promote cooperation in tourism and to cooperate and participate in tourism promotion events in both countries.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested Spain to provide tourism training courses and technical support to Vietnam for projects on sustainable tourism management and development.
The Spanish Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism affirmed the great potential for cooperation between the two countries in tourism; and agreed to consider studying the possibility of opening direct flights, creating favorable conditions for travel for tourists from both countries.
