Delegates of Vietnam and Korea attending the event (Photo: TITC)

Mr. Lee Hak Ju, Executive Vice President of KTO shared, 2024 marks 32 years of establishing diplomatic relations between Korea and Vietnam. Since diplomatic relations were established, the two countries have strengthened cooperation in diverse fields such as politics, economics, culture, and tourism.

KTO’s Executive Vice President Lee Hak Ju speaking at the event (Photo: TITC)

In 2023, Korean visitors to Vietnam reached about 3.6 million arrivals and Vietnamese visitors to Korea surpassed 420 thousand. Vietnam became the leading country in Southeast Asia and ranked 5th in the world in the number of visitors travelling Korea. To continue this growth momentum, the Korean Government has applied a free e-visa application policy for Vietnamese tour groups that will last until the end of this year; The visa exemption regime for tour groups entering Yangyang International Airport, Mu-an International Airport, and Jeju International Airport has also been extended.

In the coming time, KTO will make efforts to support local tourism management agencies and travel businesses to develop a variety of new tourism products for Vietnamese tourists such as local festivals, Korean K-dramas, and new tourist attractions. KTO’s Executive Vice President Lee Hak Ju also hopes that Korean and Vietnamese tourism units and businesses have more opportunities to connect, exchange, cooperate, develop and achieve many targets.

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

Highly appreciating the impressive tourism promotion programmes and activities that have been organised by KTO, VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu said, these events not only contribute to strengthening cooperation and people-to-people exchanges but also bring many effects that contribute to increasing tourist exchange, making an important contribution to the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Korea.

The Korea Tourism Night 2024 provides images and information about Korean tourism, witnessing the recovery of Korean tourism with many new products, preferential policies in the context of Korean tourism are trying to rise up with messages inviting international tourists to Korea, including Vietnamese tourists.

On the other hand, thanks to the tourism promotion work in recent times, the number of Vietnamese tourists coming to Korea is increasing and in accordance with the spirit of comprehensive and effective friendly cooperation between Vietnam and Korea for the past 32 years. Both countries are interested in promoting tourism development and consider tourism as an economic lever, helping to increase people-to-people exchanges and serving as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Ha Van Sieu proposes, Korean authorities continue to support and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese tourists to visit, explore Korea and experience the best Korean products and services.

Regarding the Vietnam side, from 15th August 2023, Vietnam has proceeded granting e-visas to citizens of all countries with a stay duration of up to 90 days and increasing the stay duration to 45 days for citizens of countries exempted from visa entry into Vietnam, including South Korea.

Overview of the event (Photo: TITC)

Thanks to cooperative efforts from both sides, the number of Vietnamese tourists to Korea and from Korea to Vietnam has gradually increased over the years. Korea has truly become a key tourism partner of Vietnam as it is always in the top countries with the most visitors to Vietnam. In the first 4 months of 2024, the number of Korean visitors to Vietnam still occupies the number 1 position with more than 1.6 million visitor arrivals, an increase of over 50% over the same period in 2023. At the same time, Vietnam also leads the tourist market to Korea with over 167 thousand arrivals, an increase of 33% over the same period in 2023.

The Korea Tourism Night 2024 is an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses and Korean partners to meet, update information, negotiate and sign tourism agreements with many new tourism products and incentives from Korea, promote tourism cooperation, increase two-way visitor exchange, contributing to further development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Korea.

Tourism Information Technology Center