Visit Viet Nam Office Opening Ceremony in the United Kingdom

On 18^th February, 2020, at the Headquarter of Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Visit Viet Nam Office was officially launched. Visit Viet Nam Office has been established by Viet Nam Tourism Advisory Board, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and operated by PC Agency (UK). Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Le Quang Tung participated and had a speech at the opening ceremony.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of Visit Viet Nam Office in the UK, Deputy Minister Le Quang Tung highlighted achievements of Viet Nam’s tourism over the past few years, as well as confirmed that the UK is the strategic partner and one of the top inbound market of Viet Nam in Europe. The launching of Visit Viet Nam Office in London will create favorable conditions to promote not only tourism but also multifaceted cooperation between Viet Nam and the UK. In the context that the world is fighting against novel corona disease, Deputy Minister ensured that Viet Nam remained a safe tourist destination thanks to effective measures of controlling and preventing disease. The Viet Nam’s government determines not only to prevent novel corona virus but also to maintain economic development.

Ms. Kate White, Director of Asia Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office emphasized that the launching of Visit Viet Nam Office in the UK was a wise choice because UK has biggest amount of tourists in Europe as well as is an international center and a gate to the rest of Europe. The British tourists especially keen on discovering Viet Nam through cultural identity, cuisine, art and history; they also love wild nature like mountains, caves, national parks and secluded beaches.

Ambassador Tran Ngoc An also shared that this was the first overseas tourism office of Viet Nam. Therefore, the important role of the UK market in Viet Nam’s tourism can be easily seen and it is also duty and responsibility of agencies, organizations and enterprises of Viet Nam to enhance Viet Nam’s tourism and promote Viet Nam’s tourism in the UK in particular and in Europe in general.

At the ceremony, Mr. Tran Trong Kien, Chairman of TAB introduced the operation of Visit Viet Nam Office in the UK and emphasized that this was the public-private partnership model which utilized and combined between financial resources and professional tourism knowledge to promote Viet Nam in this important market. Mr. Kien also shared the objective of this Office was to contribute 500.000 British tourists to Viet Nam in 2023 which meant the growth rate was 12% annually. 

Many representatives from British government, British and Vietnamese travel agencies participated in the opening ceremony. Deputy Minister Le Quang Tung and guests of honor cut the ribbon to launch the Office at the ceremony.  

Under the framework of the visit to the UK, Deputy Minister Le Quang Tung had a meeting with Mr. Keith Nichol, Head of Cultural Diplomacy at Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) with the participation of representatives of Department for International Trade and Visit Britain Office. The 2 sides discussed measures to promote tourism cooperation between 2 countries. Deputy Minister emphasized that tourism advantages and potentials were good conditions for sustainable tourism development, however it was vital to diversify and improve tourism products and service quality in the coming period of time. Mr. Keith Nichol affirmed that the UK was always willing to support Viet Nam in tourism researches and to assist Visit Viet Nam Office’s operation in Britain. 

At the meeting with Viet Nam Ambassador to Britain, Mr. Tran Ngoc An, Deputy Minister Le Quang Tung kindly requested Viet Nam Embassy in Britain to pay attention and support Visit Viet Nam Office in the UK in order to effectively operate especially at the beginning. 

The delegation of Deputy Minister Le Quang Tung will continue to work with a number of big travel agencies in Britain to promote investment and develop destinations in Viet Nam.

Tran Hai Van