Promote sharing of experiences in transportation and tourism, contributing to developing the friendly relationship between Vietnam and Japan

Also attending were Ms. Nguyen Phuong Hoa, Director of the Department of International Cooperation; Ms. Phan Linh Chi, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and leaders of the Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism.

Deputy Minister Ho An Phong received President of Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute (JTTRJ) Masafumi Shukuri

Sending his greetings to Mr. Masafumi Shukuri, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong affirmed that Vietnam and Japan have a strong and friendly relationship and have upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The relationship between the two countries has developed strongly, substantially, extensively and achieved many important achievements in various fields, especially Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Deputy Minister Ho An Phong said that along with the strong development momentum in many aspects in recent times, the demand for transport infrastructure in Vietnam is becoming necessary, especially the expansion of the road system. The development of transport infrastructure will contribute significantly to promoting tourism. In fact, in recent years, the development of transport on roads, airways, and waterways has helped the Vietnamese tourism industry achieve strong growth.

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  Vietnam Exhibition House at EXPO 2025 Japan opens to visitors

Taking the total number of tourists to Vietnam last year as an example, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong said that in 2024, Vietnam welcomed 18.6 million international tourists, an increase of 39% compared to 2023. This impressive figure has helped Vietnam be assessed as the country with the leading tourism growth rate in ASEAN at the ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting.

Among international visitors to Vietnam, the number of visitors from Japan also reached an impressive number of 700,000, making Japan one of the countries with the highest number of tourists in Vietnam. On the other hand, Vietnamese people also showed their love for the Japanese market when the total number of tourists to Japan reached 600,000.

In addition, Vietnam and Japan also regularly exchange and maintain diverse cultural and sports activities and events.

"Vietnam's development process has always been accompanied by Japan. We have learned a lot from you. With Mr. Masafumi Shukuri's understanding of Vietnam as well as experience in transportation and tourism, I believe that the cooperation between the two sides will contribute significantly to the development of the two countries. In the coming time, we hope to continue to receive Japan's attention and comprehensive cooperation in the fields of culture, sports and tourism" - Deputy Minister Ho An Phong said.

Overview of the meeting

Thanking the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for the thoughtful welcome, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong, Mr. Masafumi Shukuri expressed his joy that the cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has made great strides, and affirmed that the economic development orientations, information and figures related to tourism shared by Deputy Minister Ho An Phong will be very useful in research and giving directions in the coming time.

Reviewing the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and his wife Ishiba Yoshiko and the Japanese high-ranking delegation to Vietnam at the end of April, Mr. Masafumi Shukuri said that through high-level talks between Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and General Secretary To Lam, President Luong Cuong, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, many joint statements were agreed upon, emphasizing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

"Through cooperation activities, we can share knowledge and experience related to sustainable development or cultural heritage conservation... contributing to promoting sustainable tourism development. I hope that in the next time, we will continue to receive attention and support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism" - Mr. Masafumi Shukuri expressed.

Responding to Mr. Masafumi Shukuri, Deputy Minister Ho An Phong also expressed his hope that in the coming time, Vietnam and Japan will have more exchange and cooperation activities in the fields of Culture, Sports and Tourism to further strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/day-manh-chia-se-kinh-nghiem-giao-thong-du-lich-gop-phan-phat-trien-quan-he-huu-nghi-viet-nam-nhat-ban-20250522145939475.htm