Vietnam News Today (Aug. 29): Vietnam Keen to Enhance Multifaceted Cooperation With Saudi Arabia

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai (R) receives visiting Tourism Minister of Saudi Arabia Ahmed bin Aqeel-Khateeb in Hanoi on August 28. (Photo: VGP)

Vietnam keen to enhance multifaceted cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Vietnam attaches importance to the traditional friendship and all-round cooperation with Saudi Arabia, an important partner for Vietnam in the Middle East, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai told visiting Tourism Minister of Saudi Arabia Ahmed bin Aqeel-Khateeb in Hanoi on August 28.

Khai noted that Saudi Arabia is currently one of Vietnam’s leading economic partners in the Middle East, with their two-way trade turnover hitting US$2.7 billion last year, up 32.4% compared to 2021.

He expected that investment cooperation between the two countries would yield more positive results in the time to come, including cooperation in green energy development.

Khai briefed his host on Vietnam’s project to develop its Halal industry until 2030 and proposed that Saudi Arabia support Vietnam in developing this Halal industry to help it's goods and services access Saudi Arabia as well as other markets in Muslim countries.

He also proposed that Saudi Arabia facilitate the import of Vietnam’s strong products such as rice, tea, pepper, coffee, rubber, and textiles, cited VOV.

The Deputy PM highly appreciated the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) having provided concessional loans for 13 projects in Vietnam and requested that the Minister, as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SFD, further support the strengthening of cooperation between Vietnam and the Fund and facilitate the continuation of preferential loans for social security projects in Vietnam.

He also requested that Saudi Arabia, as chair of the executive council of the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), support Vietnam’s bids to host big UNWTO events and invest in developing tourism infrastructure in the country.

As Vietnam and Saudi Arabia are scheduled to celebrate 25 years of their diplomatic relations next year, the two sides should coordinate closely in organizing activities, including those related to tourism promotion, and cultural and art exchanges, he suggested.

Minister Ahmed bin Aqeel-Khateeb welcomed Vietnam’s initiatives and said that both Saudi and Vietnam should ramp up cooperation in such fields as energy, investment, manufacturing, culture, Halal industry, tourism, and sports.

He assured his host that Saudi Arabia would do its best to assist Vietnamese businesses to invest in its territory as well as in other countries in the Middle East.

Vietnam, Singapore strengthen youth cooperation

First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU)’s Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee on Youth Bui Quang Huy hosted a reception in Hanoi on August 28 for a delegation from the National Youth Council of Singapore led by its Chief Executive Officer David Chua.

Huy welcomed the Singaporean delegation’s visit, which is taking place when Vietnam and Singapore are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their bilateral diplomatic ties and their 10-year strategic partnership.

Highlighting the growing relations between Vietnam and Singapore over the years, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, he affirmed that bilateral youth cooperation is evidence of the mutual trust and respect between the two peoples, contributing to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, reported VNA.

An overview of the meeting (Photo: HCMCYU)

Huy reviewed activities within the Vietnam-Singapore youth collaboration in both bilateral and multilateral aspects, especially after the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam and the National Youth Council of Singapore signed an agreement to extend their memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation for the 2023-2028 period.

He expressed his belief that the outstanding efforts of the two youth agencies will help deal with issues of common interest of the youth in the two countries in both depth and width and suggested that the National Youth Council of Singapore ask the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth to continue to support the effective implementation of the MoU, focusing on increasing youth cooperation activities, heading to the organization of annual or rotating programs on digital transformation and youth volunteer activities, supporting Vietnamese youth in enhancing English language skills through delegation exchanges and short-term training courses and continuing to supporting each other at multilateral forums, especially ASEAN and ASEAN Plus.

For his part, Chua highly valued the cooperation between the two countries and the two youth organizations.

He said he believes that dialogue and exchange programs among youngsters of the two countries will contribute to building a network of young leaders in the future, providing personnel for the implementation of ideas and solutions discussed by the youth in various areas such as digital transformation and green economy.

Vietnam welcomes 7.8 million foreign arrivals over eight months

Vietnam received approximately 7.8 million foreign arrivals in the first eight months of this year, meeting 97.5% of the target set for the whole year, according to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT).

Foreign travelers are welcomed on a trip to Da Nang, a major tourist venue in central Vietnam.

August alone saw 1.2 million foreign travelers arrive in Vietnam, representing an increase of US compared to July, reported the VNAT.

The tourism industry is expected to receive a high influx of foreign visitors in the coming months – the peak tourism season for foreign travelers, especially following the enforcement of the new visa policy, VOV reported.

Nguyen Trung Khanh, head of the VNAT, said the new visa policy, which came into force on August 15, will help Vietnam attract more foreign visitors and enhance the competitiveness of the non-smoking industry.

There remains a lot of room for the tourism industry to spur its growth when it enters the peak international tourism season at the end of the year, especially after a number of favorable policies for international visitors to Vietnam took effect, said Khanh,

In order to attract more foreign holidaymakers to Vietnam, experts said, besides visa policy changes, businesses are required to invest in building infrastructure, services, and products to meet the needs of visitors for a longer stay and more spending.

At the same time, they said tourism businesses need to improve the quality of human resources, while localities should improve the management of tourist attractions to ensure security and safety for tourists.

Vietnam, Cuba tighten special relations

Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Vu Hai Ha received in Hanoi on August 28 received a delegation from the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group led by its Vice President, Governor of Cuba’s Artemisa province Ricardo Concepcion Rodriguez.

Ha, who is also President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Parliamentarians Group and the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, emphasized that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people always attach great importance to and wish to further tighten the traditional relationship of solidarity, friendship, and traditional cooperation with the Party, State and the people of Cuba.

Vietnam is willing to accompany Cuba in the process of national construction and defense and to share the country’s experience so as to help Cuba overcome difficulties and challenges, he said.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee Vu Hai Ha hosted a delegation from the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group led by its Vice President, Governor of Cuba’s Artemisa Province Ricardo Concepcion Rodriguez. Photo: VNA

Ha spoke highly of the increasingly close, effective, and practical cooperation relationship between Binh Duong province and Artemisa which contributes to consolidating and strengthening the traditional friendship between Vietnam - Cuba.

He suggested the Friendship Parliamentary Groups of the two National Assemblies strengthen exchanges and cooperation.

For his part, the Cuban official emphasized the delegation’s visit to Vietnam is an opportunity for them to learn more about the country and people of Vietnam, and of Vietnam's experiences in national development, thereby contributing to further tightening the solidarity, friendship, and cooperation between the two countries, National Assemblies, and peoples, cited VNA.

He said that Cuba attaches special importance to promoting cooperation with Vietnam, especially in the context that Cuba is facing many difficulties due to the economic embargo and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The official wishes to have more opportunities for cooperation between the localities of the two countries in general, and between the provinces of Artemisa and Binh Duong in particular, especially in the fields that the two sides are interested in and have advantages.

Vietnam's tourism industry poised to take advantage of new visa policy

The number of international visitors looking for accommodation in Vietnam for long holidays in the last months of the year is forecast to increase significantly thanks to the new visa policy.

Starting from August 15, electronic visas (e-visa) will be extended from 30 to 90 days.

Additionally, citizens of countries unilaterally exempted by Vietnam from visa requirements will see their temporary residence permits increase from 15 to 45 days, and their visa applications and temporary residence extensions will be considered as per regulations.

With these more open visa policies, opportunities to stimulate tourist spending and keep visitors for longer stays are expanding, and the creation of continuous tours through countries is being revitalized.

Doan Thi Thanh Tra, director of marketing and communication at Saigontourist Travel, said that as soon as the new policy was announced two months ago, their company worked with partners to adjust and update products accordingly.

After the pandemic, foreign markets were requiring Vietnam’s tourism industry to refresh its products, and products for the international market needed to be redesigned.

However, businesses could make use of longer guest stays to develop tour programs based on the criteria and regulations of the expanded lenient visa policy.

"Besides casual tourists, various business groups that frequently enter and exit Vietnam have the tendency to book necessary services in advance. When working with these partners, travel products are always designed based on visa conditions. Visa-free countries will receive different offers compared to those with visa requirements,” Tra said.

She added that longer-duration tours, connecting with Laos and Cambodia, had become much easier to implement.

Some other tourism agencies hope the new visa policy will positively impact and potentially increase the number of international tourists coming to Vietnam by 5 to 25 percent each year.

"Previously, creating consecutive tours involving three countries was quite a struggle. If foreign tourists wanted to travel to neighboring countries, they had to apply for visas again. Many of them eventually decided to leave Vietnam even though they wanted to stay longer," a representative of a travel firm said.

European tourists coming to Vietnam often have to take long round-trip flights with expensive airfare, leading them to plan for more extended vacations compared to tourists from nearby regions, according to the representative.

When Vietnam’s visa policy was less open, these trips had to be shortened. It is crucial to note that this is a group of high-spending tourists who wish to spend more time in Vietnam.

A group of foreign tourists visit Binh Quoi tourism village in Binh Thanh District. Photo tuoitre.vn

Nguyen Ngoc Toan, CEO of Images Travel & Events, also anticipates an increase in the number of tourists but believes this increase will come from individual travelers, while group travelers through travel agencies might need more time to adjust.

Pulling visitors back again and again

Jürgen Dörr, CEO of Vinpearl Holdings, believes that the next step after the new visa policy is direct flights.

"Visas are just the beginning. Convenient flight routes can bring tourists to destinations," he said.

During the last months of the year, travel businesses need to develop quality products that emphasize experiential factors and offer flexible services to tourists, such as flexible departure times and itineraries, according to the expert.

That being said, a larger number of tourists means that relevant authorities need to ensure stable prices across all localities, cited VNS.

International tourists appreciate experiences linked to the daily lives of local people, street food, and local eateries, but they need to be effectively managed to avoid issues like price gouging, improper pricing, hygiene concerns, and environmental issues.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Hoai Nguyen, CEO of BenThanh Tourist, after the pandemic, domestic travel companies are facing a reality of fewer service options, leading to higher product prices and reduced competitiveness compared to other countries in the region.

"Nowadays, customers demand information about what activities to do, what to eat, and the quality of service. It will be challenging for local companies if they do not stay updated,” Nguyen said.

Toản added that while the visa policy had become more lenient, how it would be implemented was also a concern for businesses.

In practice, occasionally tour groups still encountered challenging situations with e-visa procedures.

For instance, a guest in a group was once left behind during the immigration process in Vietnam due to a minor misspelling in their name. And the company had to transport the guest to Laos to wait for a new visa.

"We have a lenient policy, but there needs to be a flexible process and guest-oriented attitude as well," Toan suggested

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