A golden opportunity to promote tourism
Vietnam, with its diverse natural beauty and rich culture, is looking for new and more effective approaches.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, cinema and culture are effective communication channels, actively supporting the promotion and advertising of the image of Vietnam's tourist destinations.
The cooperation of the tourism industry with the Bollywood film industry of India, with film projects such as Love in Vietnam and SILAA, opens up a promising direction.
Following the success of Love in Vietnam at the Da Nang International Film Festival, the $4 million blockbuster project SILAA promises to bring the image of Vietnam to hundreds of millions of international audiences.
The film was made by a leading Bollywood film crew: Producer Rahul Bali - CEO of Innovations India, executive director Omung Kumar and a cast of famous actors, with the participation of Harshvardhan Rane and Sadia Khateeb in the main roles.
The film crew of SILAA has arrived in Quang Tri to start filming at the majestic caves in the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, such as Tu Lan, Tien Cave...
Attraction from unique settings
Mr. Dang Dong Ha, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Tri province, commented that Son Doong and other tourist destinations... being chosen as a Bollywood film location not only has the significance in terms of national and provincial image but also opens up great opportunities to promote tourism communication for the whole region. This is a favorable opportunity for Quang Tri to build and connect tourism products associated with cinema.
Producer Rahul Bali also expressed his impression of the majestic beauty and friendliness of the people of Quang Tri, and affirmed that the film is an effort to introduce the beauty of Vietnam and Quang Tri to the world through Indian cinema - Bollywood.
Responding to Lao Dong, Mr. Rahul Bali said: "We have made films all over the world, but Vietnam is a completely new setting. I am honored to be the producer of the first India - Vietnam cooperation film. It's great to go down in history and lay the foundation for such a great partnership, the famous Bollywood producer shared.
In addition to filming SILAA in Son Doong, the film crew also filmed at many other locations such as Cao Bang, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Da Nang and Hoi An. In which, Ba Na Hills was the only location to appear in both the films SILAA and Love in Vietnam.
This shows that the strategy of promoting tourism through cinema is being widely and calculated. Each chosen locality has its own characteristics, from majestic caves to famous scenic spots, from vibrant cities to peaceful countrysides. Exploiting these diverse backgrounds will create a panoramic and attractive picture of Vietnam tourism, meeting the needs and interests of many different audiences.
The cooperation with Bollywood does not stop at filming, but also expands to many other fields. The 2025 Namaste Vietnam Festival, with a series of activities ranging from cinema, music, dance to seminars and connecting tourism - trade, will be a clear demonstration of this strong cooperative relationship. This is an opportunity for tourism businesses, content creators, KOLs and influencers of Vietnam and India to meet, exchange and together create new tourism and cultural products.
With the support of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and close cooperation with Bollywood filmmakers, the "dream" of bringing the image of Vietnam to the world through cinema is gradually becoming a reality. This is a strategic, potential step, promising to bring great success to the Vietnamese tourism industry in the future.
