Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Mr Phan Ngoc Tho delivering the opening speech

Attending this forum were Mr. Ta Quang Dong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Mr Nguyen Le Phuc, Deputy Director General of Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism; and from the Province, were Mr. Phan Ngoc Tho, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Chief of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Mr. Phan Thien Dinh, Deputy Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, together with numerous tourism businesses and travel agencies in and outside the province.

In response to the program "Vietnamese people travel in Vietnam" issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and under the resolution of the Provincial People's Council on tourism stimulus policies in the year 2020, the Forum is included in the implementation plan entitled “Recovering and stimulating tourism development in Thua Thien Hue (phase 2020-2021)" and implementation plan for the tasks and solutions to recover and stimulate tourism development in Thua Thien Hue from now until the end of 2020.

The forum attracts numerous businesses and travel agencies

Upon delivering the opening speech, Chairman Phan Ngoc Tho said that under the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, Thua Thien Hue had suffered tourism revenue losses of approximately VND 2,250 billion over the past 6 months, and the number of tourists had fallen by 55% in comparison with that of the same period last year. In the current context, overcoming difficulties and developing tourism industry of Thua Thien Hue in particular, and that of the country in general, require synchronous involvement of authorities from central to local levels as well as the endeavor, cooperation and rise of business community.

This forum provides an opportunity for travel agencies in and outside the province, tourism service businesses and travel professionals to meet with government agencies in order to exchange information and suggest solutions for Thua Thien Hue's tourism recovery and development program in the context of promoting economic development while preventing the pandemic in an effective manner.

Travel agencies exchanging information at the sidelines of the Forum

Accordingly, the Forum aims at assessing the resilience of Thua Thien Hue's tourism industry, determining customers/target markets in the current and post-COVID-19 contexts, connecting big travel agencies throughout the country with businesses working on accommodations, destinations and tourism services in the provincial area, creating an environment for travel agencies outside the province to learn about the products and services of businesses in Thua Thien Hue, connecting these businesses in response to the implementation of stimulus program of Thua Thien Hue province, etc.

Additionally, the provincial tourism stimulus program from now until the end of 2020 will also be announced at the Forum, including chain of cultural events and festivals of the province in 2020, especially Hue Festival 2020, and the collaboration with Da Nang city and Quang Nam province to sign and implement the stimulus program that links 3 localities.

Story and photos: Le Tho - Duc Quang