Press conference on June 25. (Photo: ANH DAO)

On June 25, Duy Tan University, in collaboration with relevant units, held a press conference to announce the first ASEAN-Republic of Korea Tourism Roundtable in 2025 (AK-RT).

The AK-RT was launched in August 2024 under the framework of the ASEAN–Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA) and its comprehensive economic cooperation initiative, aiming to promote tourism exchange and cooperation between ASEAN countries and the Republic of Korea.

According to the organisers, the roundtable will bring together tourism policymakers, business leaders, and stakeholders from both regions to discuss and propose practical solutions for the recovery and sustainable development of the tourism industry in the post-COVID-19 era.

The event aims to promote and restore tourist flows between the Republic of Korea and ASEAN member states, in line with Article 5 of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between the Governments of ASEAN and the Republic of Korea on Tourism.

During the three-day conference, participants will engage in discussions centred around four main topics. They include enhancing security and facilitating tourism development, improving tourism infrastructure to enhance visitor experiences, training tourism human resources and promoting mutual understanding of cultural diversity between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea.

The roundtable also serves as a platform for dialogue among stakeholders in both tourism sectors to develop policy recommendations to foster tourism exchange. These efforts will significantly contribute to economic growth and tourism recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event will be held on a rotating basis across participating countries over three years, with Viet Nam hosting for the first time in 2025. It is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and the ASEAN–Republic of Korea Free Trade Area (AKFTA) Fund.

According to the General Statistics Office, in the first five months of 2025, international arrivals to Viet Nam by air reached 7.84 million, accounting for 85.2% of the total number of international visitors — a 23.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024. With 1.9 million arrivals, the Republic of Korea ranked as Viet Nam’s second-largest sending market after China, making up 20.7% of total international visitors.