Vietnam and Thailand hold discussions on tourism collaboration

Officials from Vietnam and Thailand are working on tourism collaboration in light of the Six Countries, One Destination initiative.

A working session between the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding tourism collaboration was held last 3rd January at the latter’s satellite office in Hanoi.

The groundbreaking proposal is expected to result in simplified visa operations and seamless travel throughout Southeast Asia.

The discussion was led by Vietnamese deputy minister of culture, sports, and tourism Ho An Phong and Thai foreign affairs advisor Dusit Manapan. 

The session revolved around enhancing tourism collaboration among six ASEAN member countries: Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Likewise, the initiative also seeks to redefine regional tourism and boost economic cooperation between Vietnam and Thailand.

Simplifying immigration

During the session, Manapan pointed out how the initiative seeks to make travel easier among participating nations through simplified immigration procedures, including exploring the possibility of a shared visa system modelled after the European Union’s Schengen Visa. 

This common visa would allow tourists to visit multiple countries within the ASEAN bloc seamlessly. 

The initiative also envisions fast-track immigration lanes, enhanced business networks and coordinated promotional campaigns to position the six nations as a unified destination.

Manapan added that such tourism collaboration may significantly boost tourist exchanges within ASEAN while attracting international travellers from key markets such as the United States, Europe, as well as South Asia.

He further cited the potential to enrich tourists’ experiences by offering diverse and interconnected travel opportunities across six culturally-rich nations.

As visa policies need to be given ample attention, Phong emphasised Vietnam’s commitment to creating favourable conditions for international tourists by maintaining an open and liberal visa policy. 

The country is actively researching potential markets to expand its list of countries eligible for unilateral and bilateral visa exemptions. 

This effort aligns with the goals of the Six Countries, One Destination initiative, where simplified visa procedures are expected to play a pivotal role in attracting global tourists.

The need for joint efforts

For his part, Phong voiced his country’s support of the initiative with regard to its alignment with ASEAN’s key goal of cooperation in culture, sports and tourism. 

The deputy minister emphasised that joint initiatives are necessary to create new tourism products that leverage the unique strengths of both Thailand and Vietnam

Phong also proposed collaborative participation in trade fairs, promotional events, and tourism exhibitions hosted in each country. 

These efforts would have the dual benefit of fostering tourist exchanges whilst attracting investments and business partnerships.

The discussion also touched on the importance of developing tourism workers in which Vietnam needs Thailand’s support with regard to training its tourism and hospitality workforce.

Along these lines, proposals involved the provision of scholarships for short and long-term programmes, the organisation of training workshops, as well as potential agreements between educational institutions.