LOS ANGELES — A delegation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MoCST), headed by Deputy Minister Hồ An Phong, engaged in discussions with the Los Angeles city government and Google as part of the Việt Nam Tourism and Cinema Promotion Programme in the United States.

Phong said that there have been many significant milestones in the two countries' cooperation in terms of culture, sports and tourism, helping enhance mutual understanding among their people.

"The bilateral cooperation between Việt Nam and the United States is currently thriving, marking a significant milestone with the establishment of a Strategic Partnership in 2023, which facilitates the development of collaboration in various fields," he said. 

Los Angeles is a major tourist destination and a global centre for the film and entertainment industry. 

The city is also home to many overseas Vietnamese who frequently return to support their homeland, and the Vietnamese government acknowledges their vital contributions as an integral part of the nation.

With the potential for growth in tourism and cinema between the two countries, Phong suggested the Los Angeles city government enhance cooperation with Việt Nam in these fields.

Việt Nam seeks support from Los Angeles to share its experience in developing the cultural and film economy, particularly for Việt Nam's Creative Cities Network Project under UNESCO. Efforts will focus on helping HCM City prepare its application to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in cinema, aiming for submission in 2025.

Việt Nam has proposed establishing direct flights between its major cities and Los Angeles and plans to invite Hollywood studios to explore potential filming locations and tourism services.

Los Angeles city government representative Daniel Rodman expressed honour in welcoming the Vietnamese delegation and emphasised the importance of enhancing cooperation in culture, sports, tourism and especially cinema, viewing this visit as an opportunity to strengthen their partnership.

"The city is also planning to open direct flights to Vietnamese cities," he said. "Hosting the 2028 Olympics is an opportunity for Los Angeles to welcome international visitors from around the world and this is also an opportunity to expand cooperation with Vietnamese cities."

Cooperation with Google 

The delegation from the MoCST also met with Google at its Mountain View headquarters to discuss potential collaboration in promoting Việt Nam's culture, tourism and digital transformation in the fields of tourism, culture, arts and entertainment.

Phong said he appreciates Google for supporting the MoCST in promoting Việt Nam's image, people and culture to a global audience through significant projects such as Wonders of Vietnam, Vibrant Vietnam and a series of video clips called Việt Nam: Đi Để Yêu! (Việt Nam: Travel to Love!) as well as training programmes for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises in Việt Nam.

General Director of the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), Nguyễn Trùng Khánh, said: "This practical and effective support comes at a time when Việt Nam’s tourism industry is accelerating its digital transformation, leveraging digital assets to aid recovery and promote sustainable development.”

Phong proposed several initiatives to strengthen collaboration with Google, particularly in enhancing policies, international legal experiences and regulations related to cultural industries.

He suggested enhancing cooperation between Google and Việt Nam’s tourism sector by focusing on innovative promotion strategies, creating a smart tourism ecosystem tied to digital and green initiatives, streamlining administrative procedures and effectively using Google’s digital tools.

The MoCST also requested that Google continue to implement projects that promote the image of Việt Nam’s people and culture on the 'Google Arts & Culture' platform.

Based on the proposal from the MoCST, Marc Woo, Managing Director of Google Việt Nam, said that the firm will continue promoting Việt Nam’s tourism and culture, as well as digital transformation and content creation in the ministry's areas of management.

YouTube plans to invite prominent content creators from key markets to Việt Nam to showcase its landscapes and culture internationally.

As for the 'Google Arts & Culture' platform, discussions are ongoing with the International Cooperation Department to feature UNESCO-recognised sites and explore how localities can create online exhibitions with technical support from Google.

In the tourism sector, Google is collaborating with VNAT to assist tourism businesses by organising workshops and training sessions to introduce Google’s free tourism products, while also helping businesses develop marketing plans for international markets using Google tools. — VNS