Hanoi (VNA) – Nearly 3,000 international reporters came to cover the secondDPRK-USA Summit in Hanoi on February 27-28, offering the country a valuablechance to promote tourism and attract more foreign tourists in the coming time.

DeputyDirector General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) HaVan Sieu told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) that the second DPRK-USA Summit has put Vietnam and Hanoi inparticular under the focus of the international media.

Thousands of reporters from many news and pressagencies around the world coming to Hanoi to cover the meeting have seen withtheir own eyes the city’s beauty and attractions.

Park Ji-hwan, a report of the Seoul Daily, said throughthis event, Hanoi and Vietnam will become more well-known by the world, addingthat he wants to come back next year for a vacation.

“The city is very nice with friendly people. Ilike the food. The weather here is so good so I would like to come back in nextMarch or December,” said Park.

Annalisa Burgos, a journalist from ABS-CBN newsagency of the Philippines, said this event offers a good opportunity forVietnam to promote tourism.


Covering Southeast Asia column, Burgos has cometo Vietnam many times, of which mostly for work and sometime for fun. She saidVietnam should take advantage of its traditions and culture, especially food topromote tourism.

“Foodis a good way to promote tourism, especially now a lot of people know aboutVietnamese food served at the summit.”

Burgos revealed that she will come back Vietnamfor a TV series on Vietnamese food.

“Peopleare always interested in unique experiences. For example, food journey is agood one. How do you create a coffee, the noodles, stories about how it is madeand then how it is served, the traditions like that. I think people like towatch it,” the journalist clarified.

Manyforeign reporters coming to Vietnam this summit also said they like the food.

Comingto Vietnam for the first time, Kan Hyeong-woo, a reporter, and his colleaguesof Arirang TV channel said they are impressed by well-organised facilities forjournalists at the international media centre.


“Everythingis good. I like Vietnamese food, especially ‘pho’,” said Kan Hyeong-Woo.

Kantold the VNA’s reporter that he wishes to return Vietnam for a vacation. “I wantto go to Da Nang because of many good information and recommendations.”

Accordingto the VNAT, Vietnam’s tourism witnessed an annual growth of 30 percent thepast three consecutive years. In 2018, the country attracted some 15.6 millionforeign tourists, doubling the figure of 2016.

VNAT’sDeputy Director General Ha Van Sieu said the successful hosting of the summit will help Vietnam raise itsposition and prestige in the world arena, and gain more sentiments fromforeigners, thereby attracting more international tourists, even those who havenot known much about Vietnam, and encouraging them to spend more during theirholidays in the country.

Vietnam is also expected to draw more direct andindirect investments after the DPRK-USA Summit, Sieu said, adding that increasedinflows of investment and foreign visitors will fuel ideas about new tourismproducts and new tourist destinations.-VNA