As many as 120 tour operators have joined hands to develop tourism services in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and five provinces in the Central Key Economic Region.

Businesses reached the agreement at a forum on tourism development held in Quang Nam province, central Vietnam on November 27.

Travel firms and hotels examined ways to seek cooperation opportunities, strengthen connectivity to create new tourism products, and intensify the exchange of visitors across different tourism markets.

Le Thanh Thao, director of Hanoi-based AsiaSun Travel Company, said approximately 20 travel firms from Hanoi participated in the event, seeking ways to revive the tourism sector in the central region, an area which has been hit hard by both the COVID-19 pandemic and recent historic flooding.

Phan Long, general director of Dai Viet Tour Company based in the central province of Quang Ngai, emphasised that teaming up with travel firms of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will open up opportunities for the tourism industry in the central region to weather the COVID-19 crisis and get back on track.  

During the function, local travel companies unveiled a range of activities in an effort to introduce their tourism products, along with showcasing new tours, offering discounted tourism packages, as well as exploring fresh tourism markets.

The same day, Quang Nam received the first group of tourists arriving under the new connectivity scheme. Seven cities and provinces also inaugurated spaces displaying tourism potential and products of each locality.