Making Vietnam a new destination for world cinema

The Vietnam Tourism - Cinema Promotion Program in the US organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is scheduled to take place from September 23-25, 2024 in San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, USA with the theme "Vietnam - New Destination of World Cinema".

Expected to become the new star of world cinema

Introducing the Vietnam Tourism - Cinema Promotion Program, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong affirmed that the event will open up new opportunities to promote the image of the country, people and culture of Vietnam through cinema - one of the most influential and connecting art fields. Accordingly, the program aims to introduce Vietnam not only as an ideal destination for tourists but also as an attractive destination for the world's leading filmmakers, film directors and actors.

“We believe that through films shot in Vietnam, international audiences will not only have the opportunity to experience the natural beauty, culture and people of Vietnam in the most vivid and intimate way, but also promote the demand for tourists to visit and travel,” the Deputy Minister shared.

Mr. Marc E. Knapper - US Ambassador to Vietnam, affirmed that there is no better way to promote tourism and cultural exchange than through the film industry - a means to tell stories of the people and country of Vietnam to the world.

“One of the key elements in the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and the United States is promoting people-to-people exchanges. And there is no better way to promote mutual understanding between the people of the two countries than by encouraging American filmmakers to come to Vietnam to film. The more Americans see Vietnam, learn more about Vietnamese culture and history through television and movies, the more they will want to come and see for themselves how wonderful Vietnam is, how warm and hospitable its people are,” Mr. Knapper affirmed.

Attracting the American market

Director of the National Tourism Administration Nguyen Trung Khanh emphasized that the US is one of the key markets for Vietnamese tourism, with high spending and long stays.

This market is in the top 5 in terms of international visitors to Vietnam, with a growth rate of about 11.5%/year. In 2023, the number of American visitors to Vietnam reached 717,000, recovering about 96% compared to 2019. In the first 8 months of 2024, Vietnam welcomed 529,000 American visitors, an increase of 8% compared to the same period in 2023.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh hopes that the comprehensive strategic partnership diplomatic relationship and the many US businesses investing in the tourism sector in Vietnam will be great opportunities to promote the exchange of visitors between Vietnam and the US.