The US-ABC high-level business delegation included representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam and major U.S. corporations such as 3M, Abbott, Amazon, Apple, Boeing, Coca-Cola, Google, Mastercard, Marriott International, Meta, Procter & Gamble, UPS, Visa, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

MOCST’s Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong at the meeting with the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) (Photo: TITC)

In his remarks, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong warmly welcomed Ambassador Brian McFeeters and the US-ABC delegation, while highly appreciating the Council’s efforts in maintaining a regular and substantive dialogue channel between the U.S. business community and the Government of Vietnam.

He emphasized that the meeting took place amid the strong development of the Vietnam-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which provides a favorable foundation for enhancing cooperation in culture, sports, and tourism.

In tourism, the United States continues to be one of the top five source markets for visitors to Vietnam. Maintaining and expanding direct flight routes between the two countries is considered a key breakthrough, contributing to increased people-to-people exchanges and tourism trade. The Ministry acknowledged that the presence of major U.S. hotel and travel brands in Vietnam has helped improve service quality toward international standards.

MOCST’s Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong speaking at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

In the cultural sector, Vietnam values cooperation with U.S. media and film corporations through film production projects in the country, which contribute to promoting Vietnam’s image and enhancing the capacity of the domestic film industry. At the same time, support from the U.S. Government and non-governmental organizations, including the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), has played an important role in cultural heritage preservation. Both sides also recognized positive progress in dialogue and enforcement of intellectual property rights, fostering a healthy creative environment.

In sports, the Ministry expressed its desire to strengthen cooperation with U.S. partners in developing the sports economy, athlete training, and hosting international sporting events.

Affirming that Vietnam is not only a culturally rich tourism destination but also a promising market for large-scale cultural and sports projects, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong expressed confidence that, with the support of US-ABC and the U.S. business community, the cooperation ideas discussed at the meeting would soon be implemented in practice.

Ambassador Brian McFeeters expressed his appreciation for the Deputy Minister’s insights on cooperation prospects between Vietnam and the United States in culture, sports, and tourism.

Ambassador Brian McFeeters, Chairman and CEO of US-ABC speaking at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

He noted that this year’s US-ABC delegation comprises 52 member companies. Although not all could attend the meeting, the strong turnout reflects the keen interest and firm commitment of the U.S. business community toward the Vietnamese market.

According to Ambassador McFeeters, the participating companies operate across diverse sectors such as tourism, sports, digital content industries, technology, media, and financial services, areas with strong potential for cooperation with Vietnam amid ongoing digital transformation and the rapid growth of the creative economy.

Within the meeting framework, US-ABC representatives expressed their desire to engage in deeper discussions with the Ministry on key areas including digital economy development, tourism promotion, and enhanced cooperation in cultural and creative industries. These efforts aim to expand investment and business opportunities while further strengthening Vietnam-U.S. relations in the coming period.

During the session, representatives of U.S. corporations discussed various concrete cooperation initiatives in tourism, digital economy, and cultural industries, demonstrating strong interest and commitment to expanding investment in Vietnam.

Overview of the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Regarding visa policy, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, stated that Vietnam consistently facilitates favorable conditions for international tourists entering the country. Since 2023, Vietnam has implemented e-visas and extended the length of stay from 30 to 90 days, enhancing the destination’s attractiveness.

In addition, tourism and transport infrastructure continue to receive strong investment and upgrades from the Government. Key projects are being implemented to improve connectivity and facilitate travel for international visitors. The railway system is also being modernized to provide seamless North–South connections, offering high-quality scenic travel experiences.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai speaking at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

In terms of accommodation, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism remains ready to support hotels and resorts in improving service quality toward international standards, thereby enhancing visitor experiences.

Notably, Vietnam’s tourism sector is accelerating the application of technology in service operations, including promoting contactless and cashless payment solutions to provide convenience, speed, and safety for travelers.

A representative of Marriott International stated that the company is continuing to expand its operations in Vietnam, one of its key markets in its global development strategy. Marriott’s hotel and resort system not only enhances accommodation quality but also creates employment opportunities and contributes to the development of tourism destinations.

The US-ABC high-level business delegation (Photo: TITC)

The Ministry commended Marriott International’s long-term investment orientation and encouraged the company to further expand high-quality accommodation facilities, support workforce training in the hospitality sector, promote Vietnam’s tourism image globally, and share management expertise in premium services.

In digital transformation, representatives from Visa, Google, and Mastercard reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Vietnam in developing its digital economy, particularly in electronic payments, artificial intelligence (AI), tourism promotion, and enhancing digital capacity for businesses.

(Photo: TITC)

Google confirmed it would continue implementing initiatives on digital skills training and AI applications, while strengthening cooperation in promoting Vietnam’s culture and tourism via digital platforms. The Ministry welcomed these proposals and expressed its expectation that Google would support heritage digitization, cultural content development, and the creation of a healthy online advertising environment in line with Vietnamese regulations.

Meanwhile, Mastercard highlighted the importance of secure and scalable digital payment infrastructure, as well as public-private partnerships in promoting tourism, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and advancing sustainable digital economic growth. The Ministry appreciated these proposals and affirmed its commitment to implementing cashless payment solutions at tourist destinations while strengthening digital transformation support for industry businesses.

Leaders and delegates taking souvenir photo (Photo: TITC)

Overall, discussions at the meeting demonstrated the vast potential for cooperation between Vietnam and U.S. enterprises in developing smart tourism, the digital economy, and cultural industries. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reaffirmed its commitment to accompanying and facilitating favorable policies and cooperation environments to turn these initiatives into reality, contributing to sustainable growth in the future.

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