At the Dialogue, the two sides discussed specific contents to promote tourism development between the two countries and determined the program to implement cooperation activities in 2018 and 2019. In this agreement, the Vietnam Travel Association will register to participate in a number of programs organized by the American Travel Association. In return, the American Travel Association committed to supporting a number of programs organized by the Vietnam Travel Association, especially ASTA will send a delegation of American travel businesses to attend the VITM 2018 Fair held in Hanoi from March 28 to April 1, 2018.
The Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association signed a cooperation agreement with the Chairman of the American Tourism Association. Photo: Toquoc.vn
According to Mr. Vu The Binh - Vice President of Vietnam Tourism Association, "We are witnessing the development of a good relationship between VISTA and ASTA. In April 2017, we welcomed the first delegation of ASTA led by Mr. Robert Duglin, Vice President, to attend the VITM Hanoi 2017 Fair and survey some tourist destinations in Vietnam. Today, we are honored to welcome Mr. Jay Ellenby, President of ASTA and Mr. Roland Garvil, Assistant President to visit and work with VISTA. The presence of the highest leader of a leading travel association in the world represents a new step forward in the tourism relationship between Vietnam and the United States."
"The President's visit coincides with an important event in the Vietnam-US relationship, when US President Donald Trump is in Vietnam, attending the 25th APEC Summit and paying an official visit to Vietnam. I read President Donald Trump's speech and felt his respect for Vietnam's history and the achievements that the Vietnamese people have made in recent times. We also feel that the multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and the US is developing strongly and achieving many important achievements. That is also reflected in the tourism sector," Mr. Binh shared.
In 2016, the total number of US tourists traveling abroad was 80 million, (56% to Canada and Mexico, 6.6% to Asia and 4.37% to Southeast Asia) and the total spending of this source of tourists was 246 billion USD (source: American Society of Travel Agents - ASTA). Of the 80 million US tourists traveling abroad, Vietnam welcomed 552,644 (accounting for 15.6% of the total number of visitors to Southeast Asia and 10.26% of the total number of visitors to Asia). In the first 10 months of 2017, there were 506,354 US tourists to Vietnam - an increase of 10.6% over the same period in 2016 (source: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism). Tourists from the US are always in the top 5 of Vietnam Tourism.
"In 2016, 88,000 Vietnamese citizens traveled to the US. If visa procedures were easier, this number would certainly increase rapidly, because many Vietnamese people want to visit the US, the world's number 1 economy, a country full of achievements in science and technology. With what we have achieved, we firmly believe that all tourism relations between the two countries will develop rapidly, meeting the expectations of the leaders and people of the two countries." - Mr. Binh affirmed.
At the seminar, the President of the US Travel Association directly exchanged information and answered questions from Vietnamese businesses about cooperation and support solutions between the two sides to attract American tourists to Vietnam and vice versa. Finally, the President of the Vietnam Travel Association, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh and President of the US Travel Association Jay Ellenby signed a cooperation agreement to develop tourism between the two sides in the coming time.
