Vietnam promotes int’l cooperation in MICE tourism development

Advantages

According to Vu The Binh, President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Vietnam has all the necessary conditions to become a MICE hub in the region and globally. The country boasts numerous scenic landscapes, a rich traditional culture, and many cultural heritage sites. The tourism sector’s infrastructure is becoming increasingly modern, and the skills of tourism workers are continually improving. One of the advantages making Vietnam attractive to international MICE tourists is affordable and stable costs.

Vietnam has many advantages for MICE tourism development – Illustrative photo

Currently, localities with favorable conditions for MICE tourism development include Da Nang, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, and Hanoi. Among them, Hanoi has outstanding advantages. Nguyen Hong Minh, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Tourism Department, said that MICE tourism products are considered a strength of the capital’s tourism sector. Hanoi has successfully hosted many important national, regional, and global events, including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-USA Summit, the World Economic Forum on ASEAN, the 6th Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation Summit, the 31st SEA Games, and the 11th ASEAN Para Games.

According to Nguyen Hong Minh, these events have not only contributed to promoting Hanoi’s image on the international stage as a hub connecting global values and a place for exchanging regional and international initiatives for peace, stability and development, but also affirmed the capital’s capacity to host large-scale international events. It is an attractive and safe tourist destination.

Despite its advantages, Vietnam still has much work to do to become an attractive MICE tourism destination. Vu The Binh notes that despite investment by many tourism businesses, MICE tourism development in Vietnam remains small-scale, fragmented, and lacks inter-sector and inter-regional connectivity. Furthermore, MICE tourism still reveals limitations in professionalism and competitiveness, lagging behind some other countries in the region. “Although considered a ‘golden goose,’ MICE tourism has yet to contribute significantly to Vietnam’s tourism,” Vu The Binh emphasized.

Promoting international cooperation

Vietnam continues to develop urban and MICE tourism – Photo: VNA

According to Vietnam’s Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, the country will continue to develop urban and MICE tourism products, as well as tourism combined with shopping, medical treatment, healthcare, education, and entertainment, focusing on nightlife entertainment. The Vietnam Tourism Product Development Strategy to 2025, with an orientation toward 2030, outlined by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, also specifies that in the 2025-2030 period, Vietnam will concentrate on developing MICE and urban tourism products linked with entertainment activities and traditional and contemporary art performances. This direction provides the basis for localities to accelerate investment attraction and promote cooperation in developing MICE tourism.

Recently, Hanoi and Incheon (Republic of Korea - RoK) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on MICE tourism development cooperation. Accordingly, the two cities will cooperate in promotional campaigns and facilitate tourism exchanges, sharing information about their respective tourism industry developments to ensure ongoing interaction and regular exchanges.

Incheon City is a gateway to the RoK, home to Incheon International Airport - one of the world’s largest airports. It is also the RoK’s second-largest economic hub. The city boasts diverse infrastructure and tourist attractions, including natural marine tourism resources and a rich array of cultural and historical sites. Incheon is equipped with top-tier convention tourism infrastructure and advanced medical facilities, making it a specialized destination for both MICE and medical tourism, attracting numerous businesspeople and medical tourists each year.

Nguyen Manh Than, President of the Hanoi Tourism Association (HANTA), emphasized that the MoU marks an important step forward, creating effective cooperation opportunities and fostering closer exchanges and connections between MICE tourism businesses of Hanoi and Incheon. “In the near future, we hope to carry out a range of specific collaborative activities with the Incheon Tourism Association,” Nguyen Manh Than shared.

Nguyen Manh Than added that HANTA hopes to soon send a Famtrip survey delegation to Incheon to learn from and experience the city’s advanced, high-quality tourism products. Hanoi also looks forward to in-depth networking activities between HANTA and members of the Incheon Tourism Association, aiming to expand cooperation in various fields of the tourism industry.