Viet Nam signed bilateral agreements on tourism cooperation with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar on September 9 as part of the 2015 Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE - HCMC).
The pacts focus on facilitating travelling, regularly exchanging experience and policy on tourism, training manpower, organising international tourism events and setting up joint working groups in tourism promotion.
During working sessions, the sides also agreed to set up inter-nation tours and look towards a common visa policy, among others.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said via bilateral cooperation, the countries will help promote the “Five countries-one destination” brand of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), to which they are members.
The ACMECS, which also comprises Thailand, targets common and bilateral economic cooperation to promote the advantages of the region and member countries while narrowing the development gap. Currently, it has seven cooperation areas, one of which being tourism.
In 2014, foreign arrivals in Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar reached 19.6 million, up 11.4 percent from 2013.
Myanmar is currently emerging as an attractive regional destination.