Vietnam and Pakistan Boost Tourism Cooperation with Business Linkage Program

The "Vietnam-Pakistan Tourism Business Linkage Program" was organized from September 22 to 24 in Hanoi and Halong, aiming to enhance bilateral tourism cooperation and expand the flow of tourists between the two countries. The program saw the participation of nearly 100 Vietnamese tourism businesses and around 20 Pakistani tourism companies. Representatives from relevant tourism management agencies, organizations, associations, and airlines from both nations were also present. This event served as a platform for businesses to directly exchange market information, introduce products, seek partners, and discuss business cooperation opportunities in the tourism sector and related services. Pakistan's Ambassador to Vietnam, Kohdayar Marri, emphasized the significant untapped potential for tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Pakistan. He noted that both countries possess unique destinations, landscapes, cultural, and historical values that can complement each other, offering more choices for travelers. The Ambassador highlighted that tourism not only creates business opportunities but also serves as a crucial channel for fostering people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding. The program focused on translating tourism potential and promotional activities into concrete products, partnerships, and tourist flows. Vietnamese businesses were introduced to Pakistan's destinations and tourism products, while Pakistani businesses learned about Vietnam's offerings. Discussions also covered the development of tailor-made tour packages catering to the demands of each market. A key area of interest was the development of Halal tourism and services friendly to Muslim visitors. Discussions addressed the demand for Halal food, prayer facilities, accommodation, and human resource training to better serve Pakistani tourists and the broader Muslim market. This is seen as a promising direction for cooperation, opening opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to access the international Halal tourism market more broadly. Furthermore, air connectivity was identified as a critical factor in boosting passenger exchange. Discussions revolved around passenger travel needs, charter flight possibilities, and strategies to enhance air connectivity in the coming period. Developing tourism products, creating a stable source of tourists, and strengthening cooperation among travel agencies are considered essential steps to support Vietnam-Pakistan air connectivity. Within the framework of the program, three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) for cooperation were signed. Specifically, the Hanoi UNESCO Travel Club (HUTC) and the Pakistan Association of Tour Operators (PATO) signed an MOU to enhance the travel cooperation network; Vietnam-Pakistan Tourism Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company and Travel Walji’s (Pvt) Limited signed an MOU on market development and joint tourism product creation; and Airblue Limited, VTours Vietnam Co., Ltd., and Vietnam-Pakistan Tourism Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company signed an MOU for cooperation in aviation, tourism, market development, and air cargo transportation. The signing of these MOUs provides a framework for businesses from both countries to continue exchanges, develop products, expand markets, and research specific cooperation opportunities. This also marks a significant step in strengthening direct linkages between the tourism business communities of Vietnam and Pakistan. Moving forward, the Pakistani Embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnamese Embassy in Islamabad will continue to play their role as bridges, supporting businesses from both nations in enhancing contact, exchanging market information, and seeking cooperation opportunities. The collaboration between these representative missions, along with management agencies, associations, and businesses, will contribute to further energizing tourism promotion activities and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnam and Pakistan. In the future, both sides will continue to encourage destination promotion activities, organize familiarization trips for businesses and media, strengthen linkages among travel agencies, develop tourism products that meet the needs of both markets, and research solutions to promote air connectivity. The Vietnam-Pakistan Tourism B2B Linkage and Business Exchange Program is a practical and meaningful activity that concretizes the tourism cooperation potential between the two countries. Through enhanced business linkages and the promotion of two-way tourist exchanges, tourism cooperation is expected to continue making positive contributions to people-to-people exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, and the strengthening of friendly relations between Vietnam and Pakistan.