Attending the meeting were Mr. Grant Keys, Associate General Manager, International and Diversification, Visitor Economy and Client Programs Division (Canberra); Mr. Chris Morley, Trade Commissioner Ha Noi, Austrade; Mr. Charles Thursby-Pelham, First Secretary, Australian Embassy in Ha Noi.

Overview of the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Mr. Chris Morley, Trade Commissioner Ha Noi, Austrade informed,Austrade is incharge of delivering services to grow Australia’s economic prosperity and one of its main tasks is to support the tourism industry, Austrade is currently cooperating with Asia Link to promote creative connections between Australia and Asia, including Vietnam, to promote investment and build a strong common future.

Mr. Chris Morley also congratulated the strong recovery of Vietnam tourism and hoped that in the future, Austrade and Vietnam will strengthen cooperation, promote two-way tourist exchange, and promote famous Vietnamese destinations such as Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc to a large number of Australian tourists.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

​ Ms. Samantha Palmer, General Manager, Visitor Economy and Client Programs Division - Austrade, shared about the Australian tourism situation, The growth in international visitors to Australia partly comes from the Vietnamese tourist market. Specifically, number of tourists holding Vietnamese passports increased by 29% over the same period in 2019. Most Vietnamese people come to Australia for the purpose of visiting relatives or studying abroad, stated Ms. Palmer.

The relationship between the Vietnamese and Australian governments is increasingly close; Vietnam is one of the favourite destinations of Australians. Ms. Palmer expressed the wish to strengthen tourism cooperation with Vietnam, and the two sides discussed building a more effective tourism promotion plan, enhancing experiences, extending duration of stay as well as visitor's ability to return.

Ms. Samantha Palmer, General Manager, Visitor Economy and Client Programs Division - Austrade speaking at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

​Ms. Samantha Palmer hopes that Vietnam will further facilitate visa procedures for Australian tourists. Also at the meeting, Austrade representatives provided detailed information about the progress of the Asialink Report "Strengthening Vietnam-Australia tourism cooperation".

Appreciating the Australian Government's goodwill in promoting cooperation and tourism development, VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu stressed, Australia is an important source market for Vietnam tourism, always in the top 15 source markets. Australian visitors to Vietnam remain at a stable level, increasing by an average of 6% in the period 2015-2019. In 2019, Vietnam welcomed more than 383 thousand Australian visitor arrivals; In the opposite direction, Australia welcomed nearly 124 thousand Vietnamese visitor arrivals. After resuming tourism from March 2022, Vietnam welcomed 145 thousand Australian visitor arrivals in 2022. In the first 10 months of 2023, Vietnam welcomed 319,814 Australian visitor arrivals, recovering 98% compared to the same period in 2019 before the pandemic.

Regarding tourism promotion, since 2016, VNAT organised an annual roadshow introducing Vietnam tourism in major cities of Australia such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide; Vietnam also welcome press trips and fam trips of Australian travel businesses to learn tourism products and services in Vietnam.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu thanks Austrade and Asia Link for working with relevant parties in the tourism industry of the two countries to develop the draft Report "Strengthening Vietnam-Australia tourism cooperation". This will be a very good reference document and a basis for the two sides to implement tourism cooperation activities and projects in accordance with the needs and common goals of the two sides in the future.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu also provided additional information about the plan to organise the Tourism Forum in Australia in the second quarter of 2024 and a number of projects that will be implemented by the two countries in the near future.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu believes that Vietnam and Australia will strengthen cooperation and dialogue between the tourism agencies of the two countries, the Vietnamese side is VNAT, the Australian side is Austrade and Tourism Australia. Consider organising periodic bilateral meetings alternately in the two countries. At the same time, consider signing cooperation documents in the field of tourism, on that basis, implement specific cooperation activities. VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu inquired Austrade to soon provide information on plans, time, activities and participants of the Tourism Forum so that VNAT can co-prepare content and invite appropriate guests to ensure the event to take place effectively.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu gifting souvenir to Ms. Samantha Palmer, General Manager, Visitor Economy and Client Programs Division - Austrade (Photo: TITC)

Ms. Samantha Palmer, General Manager, Visitor Economy and Client Programs Division - Austrade gifting souvenir to VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu (Photo: TITC)

Leaders and delegates of both sides talking souvenir photo (Photo: TITC)

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