The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and UN Tourism organized the primary UN Conference on Tourism for Rural Development in Hoi An on December Sept. 11, 2024
The conference highlighted the importance of tourism for rural development and called for tourism to be included in development budgets and infrastructure planning.
Who is participating within the conference
In addition to senior officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and UN Tourism, the meeting was also attended by big names from Vietnam:
- Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism
- Luong Nguyen Minh Triet, secretary of the Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee
- Nguyen Trung Khanh, chairman of the Vietnam National Tourism Authority
In addition to big names from Vietnam and representatives from other countries, the conference was also attended by organizations akin to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mekong Tourism, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Fliggy, Intrepid Travel , Japan Travel Bureau (JTB), Meta, Planeterra, Traveloka, who shared their knowledge about rural tourism.
Program
This event consists of three fundamental programs. The first of them is the first UN Tourism Conference on Tourism for Rural Development, attended by 300 delegates from 15 countries.
The conference also included UNWTO’s second annual Top Tourism Villages Meeting, where 50 representatives from over 30 villages gathered in Vietnam to review the network’s progress and develop a strategic framework for its future development.
The second is to declare Tra Que Vegetable Village in Vietnam as one of the best tourist village of 2024, which incorporates a special presentation and a neighborhood tour of the tourist village.
Objective
Zoritsa Urosevic, UN executive director for tourism, said that as of 2021, the network of prime tourist villages had grown to 254 villages from 59 countries.
During the discussion, Sandra Carvão, Director of Market Intelligence, Policy and Competitiveness on the United Nations Tourism Division, also mentioned that tourism will be related to strong inclusive practices, empowerment, cultural heritage protection, in addition to innovation and sustainable development.
The conference emphasized the necessity for cooperation between different sectors to be sure that tourism will not be only economically useful, but additionally constitutes an environmental and cultural heritage.
During the panels, modern ways of using rural tourism for sustainable development were discussed. This includes:
- Government policy
- Infrastructure
- Partnership to strengthen the local people
The conference highlighted several key elements of the event of rural tourism:
- Infrastructure Community-led
- Strengthening the local economy
- Tourism and agriculture integration
- Telling stories and preserving culture
- Empowering youth
- Product diversification
- Connection to the market
- Digital technology
The importance of world cooperation
According to numerous sources, the successful development of rural tourism depends largely on international cooperation. This cooperation covers various facets, from economic advantages and improved infrastructure to improved marketing and sharing of cultural knowledge. For example:
- While tourist villages profit from latest attractions akin to foreign foods and goods, additionally they contribute to cultural exchange by promoting traditional arts from other countries.
- International cooperation in the event of tourist facilities and infrastructure allows for a various exchange of data. This allows for the introduction of innovations which have not been implemented before in a given country.
- Investments by foreign corporations in the shape of sponsorship for tourist villages have probably grow to be effective indirect marketing aimed toward increasing the brand’s popularity on the worldwide market. This sort of support includes plans for accommodation, public facilities and infrastructure.
