Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar will co-operate with each other in organising tours
to their world cultural heritage sites, officials said at a seminar on Tuesday.
The seminar focused on ways to present the
four nations together as the Land of World Cultural Heritages.
"I highly recommend connecting the world
cultural heritages in a special tour of the four countries," said Nguyen
Quy Phuong, director of the Travel Department under the Vietnam National
Administration of Tourism.
He said the seminar offered the opportunity to
promote and introduce the tourism potentials of Vietnam and the neighbouring
countries to international visitors, travel agencies and the international
media personnel attending the four-day International Travel Exhibition Ho Chi
Minh City 2011.
Nim Sovann, deputy director of the Marketing
and Promotion Department of Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism, emphasized the
country's strength in cultural heritages, led by Angkor Wat Temple complex that
has been declared a Heritage of Humanity and a World Wonder since 1992.
He also drew attention to the Sacred Site of
Preah Vihear Temple - a World Heritage since 2008.
He said the country also had a lot of
favourite destinations, including the Bayon Temple; Ta Prom Temple; Gate of
Angkor Thom; Banteay Srel Temple; Phnom Penh City; Cambodian Bay - a member of
"The Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club"; as well as Prek Toal -
the biggest natural reserve in Southeast Asia.
Phouthasinh Saythirath, managing director of
DDD Travel of Laos, highlighted the two world heritage sites in his country –
Luang Prabang, the former capital city, known as the seat of Lao culture with
monasteries and monuments galore.
Vat Phou Champasak is one of the Southeast
Asia's best examples of both early and classic Khmer architecture dating back
to 7th-12th centuries, Sythirath said.
Hla Aye, managing director of ShanYama Travels
& Tours, introduced Myanmar as a "golden land".
He mentioned Yangon city with its famous
Shwedagon pagoda, Mandalay - the royal capital of the last dynasty in central
Myanmar, Mrauk-Oo - ancient capital of Rakhine Kingdom and Bagan - land of
ancient pagodas.
Bui Viet Thuy Tien, managing director of Asian
Trails, said Vietnam could boast both tangible and intangible heritages that
have received UNESCO recognition.
The world cultural heritages of Vietnam
include the complex of monuments in Hue, the ancient town of Hoi An, the My Son
sanctuary, the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and the Ho Dynasty Citadel.
Among the intangible cultural heritages that
the country has are: Nha nhac (court music), the gong culture, the Quan ho Bac
Ninh folk songs and Ca Tru (ceremonial songs).
Doan Quang Huy, deputy general manager, Sales
and Marketing Department, said the airline had a fast growing international
network with 73-aircraft fleet that reaches 27 international destinations and
20 domestic destinations.
It expected to become the second largest
airline in Southeast Asia with 170 flights to 53 international destinations and
23 domestic destinations by 2020, Huy said.
The airlines' long-term policy included
supporting overseas agents to sell tours to the four countries by offering
special airfares for travel agents to promote the four countries.
It planned to make Vietnam the major gateway to
the four countries by expanding its network to high volume markets in Northeast
Asia, Europe and North America, Huy said.
Vietnam Airlines would launch direct flights
to Africa in 2019, Huy said.
Delta has great potential
Also on Tuesday, another seminar was held at
the International Tourism Investment Promotion Conference "Four Countries
– One Destination" 2011 to promote Vietnam and regional countries
Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar as a single tourism destination.
"The Mekong Delta has great potential for
tourism," said Nguyen Phong Quang, deputy chief of the committee, and
chief of the Steering Committee of the Mekong Delta Economic Co-operation - Ca
Mau 2011.
"It is original and different from all
other regions of the country."
In 2001-10, the number of visitors to the
Mekong Delta grew at an annual average of 11 per cent, while foreign arrivals
grew 16 per cent.
However, Pham Thanh Tuoi, chairman of Ca Mau
Province People's Committee, said this growth was weak considering the area's
advantages.
He blamed it on the inadequacy of the tourism
infrastructure and lack of connectivity between tourism products and services
in various provinces.
Other delegates concurred that the region
could not achieve a breakthrough because of the poor tourism infrastructure.
Dong Thap Province, for instance, has a lot of
interesting destinations like Tram Chim National Park, Sa Dec bonsai village
and Gao Giong Eco-tourism Park.
But a representative of a travel agent in the
province pointed out: "The distance between Ho Chi Minh City and the
province is not far, but it is hard to get there due to the bad road."
"There are tourism products in Dong Thap
but mostly sub-standard."
Le Minh Hoang of the Kien Giang Province's
Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said the biggest difficulty the
region faced in developing tourism was creating distinct products.
"The products tend to be similar because
of their similarities due to the waterways," he explained.
The head of the Vietnam National Tourism
Administration Nguyen Van Tuan said the region needed a breakthrough in
resolving four basic problems: infrastructure, tourism specialities, regional
co-operation and human resources.
"The localities themselves have to find
the money to develop infrastructure. The Government can only help with
strategies."
Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy chairwoman of the Ho
Chi Minh City People's Committee, warned: "There will be no attractive
tourism products without co-operation between provinces in the region."
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