The press is a 'soft bridge' for Vietnamese tourism.

With Vietnam's tourism sector aiming to welcome 25 million international visitors this year, the press is considered a crucial force in spreading the image of the destination and leading trends.

Tourists explore En Cave, located in the core area of ​​Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Quang Tri province, on May 17. Photo: Phan Nhat .

On the afternoon of May 22nd, in Quang Tri, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the People's Committee of Quang Tri province, organized the forum "The Role of the Press in Promoting the Tourism Industry in Vietnam," aiming to honor the role of the press in promoting the image of Vietnam and its people.

Within the framework of the forum, several cooperation agreements on media and tourism development were signed, including an agreement between the online magazine Tri Thuc - Znews and Oxalis Adventure Co., Ltd.

The two sides are cooperating to promote tourism in Quang Tri, spreading the values ​​of sustainable nature tourism and adventure tourism. The collaboration aims to develop in-depth content, contributing to bringing the image of Vietnam as a tourist destination closer to domestic and international audiences.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong stated that Vietnamese tourism has recovered and developed strongly in recent years, gradually affirming its role as an important comprehensive economic sector of the country.

"In the digital age, journalism not only serves the purpose of disseminating information and propaganda but also contributes to shaping social awareness, spreading cultural values, and promoting economic development. In the tourism sector, journalism acts as a 'soft bridge' between destinations and tourists, between cultural values ​​and the market, and between the national image and the international community," he remarked.

However, the Deputy Minister also acknowledged that tourism promotion efforts still face many limitations, such as inconsistent content, a lack of distinctive storytelling for destinations, and insufficient depth in the collaboration between the press, businesses, and localities.

He suggested that all parties focus on innovating multi-platform communication, applying artificial intelligence and digital data, and strengthening linkages to form a unified tourism media ecosystem.

Deputy Minister Ho An Phong speaks at the forum in Quang Tri, afternoon of May 22. Photo: National Tourism Administration.

According to Hoang Xuan Tan, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, after the province merger, Quang Tri's tourism development space has expanded with many outstanding values ​​in nature, culture, and history. The locality is aiming to become a center for cave exploration tourism in Asia and a leading experiential destination in Vietnam.

He highly appreciated the role of the press in promoting the image of Quang Tri in recent times, and expressed his hope that media agencies would continue to cooperate with the locality in tourism promotion.

Speaking at the forum, the Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, Nguyen Trung Khanh, assessed that the tourism industry is facing many great opportunities as a series of supporting policies have been issued, from tourism development strategies, digital transformation, green development to visa exemption policies, e-visas, and immigration procedure reforms.

According to Mr. Khanh, post-pandemic tourism trends are creating an advantage for Vietnam as tourists prioritize safe, friendly destinations rich in cultural identity. This is seen as an opportunity for Vietnam to shift from the image of a "cheap destination" to a "high-quality experience destination".

Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration Nguyen Trung Khanh (center) speaks at the forum, afternoon of May 22. Photo: Vietnam National Tourism Administration.

Assessing the role of the press, Director Nguyen Trung Khanh stated that the media has played a crucial role in the recovery of Vietnamese tourism through articles, digital videos, and social media platforms, helping to spread the image of Vietnam as a safe, friendly, and experience-rich country.

"The press also contributes to promoting sustainable tourism trends such as green tourism, Net-Zero tourism, healing tourism, and community tourism; while playing a role in shaping public opinion, refuting misinformation, and supporting the handling of media crises," the Director said.

In 2026, Vietnam's tourism sector aims to welcome 25 million international visitors and 150 million domestic tourists. According to the leaders of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, to achieve this goal, the tourism industry needs continued strong, creative, and responsible support from the media.

This year's forum features over 30 presentations focusing on topics such as digital tourism development, national tourism brand promotion, external communication, digital data, multilingual journalism, and customer experience communication strategies in the digital age.

Source: https://znews.vn/bao-chi-la-cau-noi-mem-cua-du-lich-viet-nam-post1653502.html