TOKYO – The northern province of Ninh Bình, home to the ancient capital of Hoa Lư (968-1009), showcased its stunning natural landscapes and people to the Japanese market through a recent tourism promotion conference called “the splendour of the ancient capital” in Tokyo.

The event, jointly organised by the provincial People's Committee and the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, drew the attendance of travel industry representatives, government officials, and Japanese who love Việt Nam.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Trần Song Tùng laid stress on the significance of the event, which aimed to raise awareness of the locality’s tourism potential among Japanese tourists and travel firms.

He said the conference serves not only as a platform to comprehensively introduce the province’s natural, cultural and heritage values but also a bridge to strengthen collaboration between tourism organisations and businesses of both nations.

Vietnamese Ambassador Phạm Quang Hiếu stressed that Ninh Bình is one of Việt Nam's pioneering localities in organising tourism promotion events in Japan, reflecting the province's innovative spirit and strong determination in tourism development, focusing on targeted cultural promotion so as to enhance its position in the national tourism strategy.

He described the conference as an important move in connecting Ninh Bình with international markets, particularly Japan – a potential and crucial market for the Vietnamese tourism sector.

The embassy pledges to accompany the province and many other localities in tourism promotion as well as support them to expand international cooperation, he added.

Mayor of Saiki City Tanaka Toshiaki, who had previously visited Tràng An, shared his positive impressions of the destination.

There is an increasing number of tourists from Saiki City, Oita Prefecture visiting Ninh Bình, he said, expressing his hope for deeper relations between the two countries in both natural and historical aspects.

Looking ahead, director of the provincial department of tourism Bùi Mạnh Hà said the province has identified Japan as a priority market in its international tourism strategy.

The delegation's visit has already resulted in numerous partnerships with Japanese partners, with plans to enhance service quality and professionalism through collaborative efforts in travel, accommodation, and hospitality services.

In framework of the conference, several cooperation agreements were signed between tourism agencies of both countries, laying the groundwork for more intensive collaboration in the future. VNA/VNS