Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - The embassies of Bulgaria and Italy hosted aconference to introduce two European capitals of culture, Plovdiv in Bulgariaand Matera in Italy on March 29.

The conference was part of the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) held inHanoi.

Counsellor Tom Corrie of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Vietnam saidin the varied agenda of the VITM, it’s noteworthy that there is an increasingfocus on Vietnamese outbound tourism.

“In my view, this is a reflection of the increased wealth and curiosity of thepopulation and proof of the success of the country’s fast-paced economicdevelopment,” he said.

“In terms of outbound tourism, Europe has so much to offer, including a richheritage with sport, gastronomy, language and culture,” said Corrie.

“Among them, culture is one of Europe’s clear strong points.”

Corrie introduced the European capitals of culture programme in which eachyear, two cities are chosen for this prestigious title. A year-long programmeof high quality cultural events such as performances, concerts and exhibitionstake place for locals and tourists.

This year, the two European capitals of culture are Plovdiv in Bulgaria andMatera in Italy.

The programme was first suggested by Greece in 1983 and the programme startedin 1985. Since the beginning, the idea was to promote different Europeanculture.

Now over 60 cities have been named as European cultural capitals and theprogramme is very well-known in Europe. Cities are chosen five years inadvance, so they have a long time to prepare a programme and invest ininfrastructure if needed.

“We introduce the programme to Vietnamese people and tourism experts for tworeasons, firstly we think it’s an excellent programme for promoting culturaltourism which may give inspiration to Vietnam. Secondly, we want to give anopportunity for you to learn more about Plovdiv and Matera. So you may considervisiting them.”

On the same day, the Delegation of the EU also announced a project to providetechnical support to the Vietnamese tourism sector through an internationaltechnical team. The country’s tourism sector will be supported through aTourism Development Fund and tourism destinations will become more competitive.The one-year project started last month. It comes at a critical time in orderfor Vietnam Vietnam to gain a favourable position in the changing world tourismmarket.

The project will undertake a consultation process with public institutions andthe business sector. Upcoming activities include a series of events includingpublic private dialogues, consultation workshops, training sessions andpiloting of the Competitiveness Index in five priority tourism destinations of HaLong Bay, Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City.

Key results of the project will be presented later in the year at a high-levelevent before being officially submitted to the Prime Minister. The key resultsinclude recommendations on the Tourism Development Fund, and Competitive Indexmodel of tourism destinations and operation plan with a toolkit forimplementation.

"We are supporting the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) to work on themodalities for a Tourism Development Fund, which should help Vietnam furtherimprove its marketing and image as a fantastic tourism destination. We are alsosupporting the development of a Tourism Destination Competitiveness Index,”said Counsellor Corrie.

“The principle is that such a comparison tool will foster a spirit of friendlycompetition and encourage all tourism destinations to improve their servicesand environment over time."

TAB was established in 2012 as a result of EU support provided to the Vietnam NationalAdministration of Tourism (VNAT) and has been active in the promotion oftourism through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. — VNS/VNA