Khanh Hoa (VNA) – Nha Trang city in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa hosted the India-Khanh Hoa tourism promotion conference on August 28, drawing more than 300 delegates.

Addressing the event, part of the Namaste Vietnam Festival 2024 from August 25-31, Standing Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Khanh Hoa Le Huu Hoang said that the conference provides a chance for the two sides to introduce each other’s tourism sector, and a venue for management officials and travel firms of Khanh Hoa and India to discuss tourism cooperation.

Khanh Hoa is keen to collaborate with Indian producers, directors, and artists to introduce the province’s culture and tourism in Indian cultural and cinematic products, initially the movie titled “Love in Vietnam” - the first to be made with the diplomatic cooperation between Vietnam and India scheduled to start in September 2024.

Indian Deputy Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Tushar Garg described the conference as a cultural event to strengthen the relations between India and Vietnam.

He held that the Namaste Vietnam Festival, which introduces the diverse cuisines and attractive tourism of India, shows the commitment of the two sides in promoting bilateral tourism cooperation, especially between India and Khanh Hoa - a coastal locality that shares similarities with many Indian destinations.

According to the Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism, with more than 1,180 facilities and over 64,000 accommodation rooms, along with many historical relics, beautiful landscapes, and unique tourism products, Khanh Hoa can satisfy Indian tourists.

Tran Hoang Linh from Vietjet Air said that the carrier is operating seven direct air routes between Hanoi, HCM City and four cities of India. Vietjet hopes to open a direct route from Cam Ranh airport in Khanh Hoa to India to meet the needs of tourists of the two sides, he said.

Abhineet Shukla, head of the Indian tourism delegation, said that the conference helps the tourism sectors of India and Khanh Hoa define potential cooperation areas such as MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), luxury travel, and weddings.

Director of the Khanh Hoa tourism department Nguyen Thi Le Thanh pledged that the locality will create optimal conditions for Indian travel firms to bring tourists to the locality, while strengthening the communications work to draw more Indian tourists.

Later the same day, the Indian delegation gathering more than 30 Indian firms joined a famtrip to Vinpearl Harbour Nha Trang entertainment site and a number of tourist attractions in Nha Trang.

According to the provincial Department of Tourism, so far this year, Khanh Hoa has attracted more than 8 million visitors, up 61% year on year, including over 3.2 million foreigners, more than 2.6 times higher than that in the same period last year. However, the number of tourists from India, a country with a population of 1.4 billion and more than 30 million people travelling abroad each year, has remained modest.

Meanwhile, on August 28, the Trang An Eco-tourism Site in the northern province of Ninh Binh welcomed more than 800 Indian tourists.

This is the first among the seven groups of a 4,500-member tourist delegation that is scheduled to tour Ninh Binh from August 28 to Septe❀mber 5. According to Pham Duy Phong, Deputy Director of the Ninh Binh Tourism Department, the selection by massive international tourist groups affirms and boosts the locality as an attractive and prestigious destination in the international tourism map. The event is also a golden chance for the province to bring into play its advantages and to popularise its image, scenic beauties, and culture to the world, especially India, he said./.