Vietnam and Japan share experiences in creative tourism

On November 12, the third Vietnam-Japan International Conference on "Creative Tourism - Sustainable Destination Development" was held in Hanoi, following the success of the previous two conferences in 2023 and 2024.

The workshop is an important scientific cooperation program between the Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism (VICAST) and the Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute (JTTRI).

VICAS and JTTRI held the Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony. (Source: Organizing Committee)

The event was attended by leading experts in the fields of tourism, culture and creative economy ; representatives of central and local state management agencies; businesses, tourism investors, social organizations and media agencies interested in the field of creative tourism and sustainable development.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Director of VICAST, said that the workshop took place in the context of global tourism strongly transforming from sightseeing and consumption tourism to experiential and creative tourism.

This trend reflects a profound change in development thinking: tourists are no longer just observers but have become co-creators of value with the local community. This is an opportunity for Vietnam to affirm its tourism brand with a strong cultural identity, while contributing to the sustainable development goals that the Vietnamese Government has committed to.

The theme of the Workshop is practical and topical, focusing on three important pillars in the orientation of Vietnam's tourism development: Changing the mindset from resource exploitation to value creation; Preserving and promoting cultural values ​​in a more dynamic and modern way; Developing high-value tourism products that are both imbued with identity and internationally competitive.

The Director of VICAST affirmed that creative tourism should be considered a new driving force for economic development, with products converging knowledge, art and technology. This will be the path for Vietnam to form creative, green and sustainable destinations, meeting the needs of the global market.

Sharing here, JTTRI President Okuda Tetsuya expressed his honor to accompany VICAST in organizing the international conference.

According to him, this is a meaningful opportunity for researchers, managers and businesses in the tourism sector of Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region to share their vision and experience in developing creative tourism associated with sustainable goals.

Mr. Okuda Tetsuya said that in Japan, creative tourism is considered a new direction to help improve tourists' experiences, awaken local identity and create sustainable livelihoods for the community; he highly appreciated Vietnam's efforts in promoting tourism models that combine culture, arts, traditional crafts and local cuisine.

As a co-organizing unit, JTTRI hopes to strengthen cooperation in research, training and sharing of Japanese experiences in areas such as sustainable destination management, community tourism development, and smart tourism.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, in recent years, Japan has always been in the Top 10 largest international tourist markets of Vietnam, and Japan is also a favorite destination for Vietnamese tourists.

Not only stopping at the exchange of visitors, tourism cooperation between the two countries has also expanded to the fields of research, training, product development, technology application and destination promotion - core factors for the sustainable development of the tourism industry in the new era.

"Vietnam-Japan cooperation in creative tourism is not only an opportunity for learning and economic development, but also a cultural bridge, helping the two nations understand each other better, connect more closely and together create new values.

I believe that, with the spirit of cooperation, creativity and strategic vision, we will make strong strides, bringing Vietnamese creative tourism to a new position on the international tourism map," Dr. Nguyen Trung Khanh emphasized.

Highly appreciating the efforts of VICAS and JTTRI in maintaining this scientific forum, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism pledges to continue accompanying organizations, research institutes and businesses of the two countries in implementing cooperation programs, pilot projects and professional exchange activities on creative and sustainable tourism.

Attending the conference as a guest of honor, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam ITO Naoki affirmed that the goal of tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Japan is to increase the total number of two-way visitors to 2 million in the near future. To achieve this goal, the top priority is to expand direct flights between the two countries.

Recently, many new routes, both regular and charter, have been deployed between the two countries such as Hanoi-Hiroshima, Ho Chi Minh City-Fukuoka, Ho Chi Minh City-Nagoya, Da Nang-Osaka, Hanoi-Fukushima, Ho Chi Minh City-Shimane... promoting tourist exchange between the two countries, while encouraging Vietnamese tourists to visit many other localities in Japan.

Delegates attending the workshop took a souvenir photo. (Source: Organizing Committee)

At the workshop, delegates discussed the main contents: Trends and experiences in developing creative tourism associated with sustainable goals: diversifying products and enhancing tourist experiences through creative tourism; orientations and solutions to promote the development of creative tourism destinations in Vietnam, towards sustainable development.

Within the framework of the event, VICAS and JTTRI held a signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two sides on research cooperation, expert exchange, event organization and exchange of research information on tourism development...

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Director of VICAST, believes that the exchanges, discussions and policy suggestions at the workshop will contribute to opening up practical directions for creative tourism in Vietnam, which is both humane, sustainable and imbued with national identity.

At the same time, this is also an opportunity for Vietnam to strengthen and expand international cooperation, especially with Japan - a country with valuable experience in connecting culture, community and creativity in tourism development.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-va-nhat-ban-chia-se-kinh-nghiem-ve-du-lich-sang-tao-334109.html