Attending the event were Mr. Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST); Mr. Pham Van Thuy, Vice Chairman of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT); representative from the International Cooperation Department (MOCST).

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Vietnam Mr. Ali Akbar Nazari speaking at the event (Photo: TITC)

Speaking at the event, Mr. Ali Akbar Nazari, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Vietnam, said, the Iran - Vietnam Tourism Roadshow was held after Iran and Vietnam celebrated the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations (1973 - 2023).

With a rich history and culture, Iran has a lot of potential for tourism development, from ancient historical sites, UNESCO world heritage sites, to beautiful natural landscapes… Iran is an attractive tourist destination for international tourists, especially Vietnamese tourists. The spirit of hospitality is one of the outstanding features of Iranian culture.

The Iran - Vietnam Tourism Roadshow is considered a step to introduce thoroughly about the country and cultural aspects of Iran to the Vietnamese people, at the same time, it contributes to promoting people-to-people exchanges, which is expected to be a driving force to promote relations in the field of tourism between the two countries.

Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran Ali Asghar Shalbafian Hosseinabadi (Photo: TITC)

Mr. Ali Asghar Shalbafian Hosseinabadi, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran declared, tourism is an important economic sector of Iran and Vietnam, and can become a bridge connecting the two countries. Vietnam has beautiful natural scenery, rich cultural identity, and world-famous cuisine, which has attracted the attention of Iranian people in recent years. Iran is a country with diverse terrain with beaches on the peaceful Persian Gulf, pristine plains, vast deserts and lush green forests. Iran has a long culture and history, customs and traditions rich in national identity. There are 27 tangible heritage sites, ranked 10th in the world, and 24 intangible heritage elements ranked 5th in the world. All of this helps Iran become an attractive destination for Vietnamese tourists.

The Iranian government's unilateral visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens has created favourable conditions for Vietnamese tourists to visit Iran. Tourism development not only helps economic development but also serves as a cultural and social bridge between the two countries. "Through close cooperation and sharing of experiences and knowledge between the two sides, we are ready to bring tourism to new heights in the two countries," affirmed Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran Ali Asghar Shalbafian Hosseinabadi.

MOCST’s Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong(Photo: TITC)

Addressing the event, MOCST’s Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong emphasised, Vietnam and Iran have a long-standing traditional friendly relationship. Recently, many cooperation and tourism promotion activities within the bilateral and multilateral framework between Vietnam and Iran have been implemented effectively, attracting the participation of agencies, associations, and tourism businesses of the two countries. Notably, in August 2023, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Iran, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam organised a series of activities and events to introduce the country's image, Vietnamese people and cultural tourism in Iran.

VNAT’s Vice Chairman Pham Van Thuy at the event (Photo: TITC)

The “Iran’s Tourism Roadshow - Southeast Asia 2024 - Iran - Vietnam” is the first tourism promotion event organised by the Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts in coordination with the Iranian Embassy in Vietnam in Ha Noi, is an important forum for the national tourism agencies in Vietnam and Iran to meet, exchange, share experiences, and promote bilateral cooperation in tourism; at the same time, create favourable conditions for Vietnamese and Iranian tourism businesses to share information, promote business cooperation, and develop two-way tourism in the context of recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, preparing for a new, stronger stage of development, contributing to deepening the strong friendship relationship between Vietnam and Iran.

Overview of the event (Photo: TITC)

At the Roadshow, Vietnamese leaders, delegates, guests, and travel and tourism businesses were introduced to Iran's culture, architecture, handicrafts, cuisine, and tourism development potential. At the same time, Vietnamese and Iranian businesses met, interacted, connected, shared information, exchanged experiences, aiming to cooperate to promote tourism exchanges…

Leaders, delegates, guests taking souvenir photo (Photo: TITC)

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