Vietnam And Malaysia Strengthen Cultural, Tourism And Trade Cooperation
	Vietnam And Malaysia Strengthen Tourism Cooperation

Vietnam and Malaysia have undertaken numerous tourism and cultural cooperation activities, facilitating a deeper understanding of each other’s history, culture, and people, thereby strengthening their bonds. Numerous direct flights also connect the two countries. At present, Malaysia is Vietnam’s second-largest source market for visitors within ASEAN, with Malaysian arrivals to Vietnam maintaining steady growth.

A delegation of the Vietnam Tourism Association and nearly 40 travel and tourism enterprises nationwide in Malaysia. (Photo: VGP)

During his visit to Vietnam to attend the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2025, Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dato' Sri Tiong King Sing, held talks with Vietnam’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung. The two sides put forward various proposals and recommendations, expressing strong consensus on further reinforcing cooperation in culture and tourism. Among the key points was the encouragement and support for tourism businesses from both countries to develop more tours and routes, thereby not only boosting two-way visitor exchanges but also attracting tourists from third countries to Vietnam and Malaysia.

To put this commitment into practice, and at the invitation of Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato' Sri Tiong King Sing, a delegation from the Vietnam Tourism Association and nearly 40 tourism and travel enterprises nationwide conducted a working visit and field survey in Malaysia from September 8-13, 2025. During the trip, both sides exchanged information to strengthen cooperation and carried out promotional and networking activities to learn from one another.

In addition to the survey program covering the Penang - Langkawi - Kuala Lumpur route, which showcased Malaysia’s majestic natural landscapes, vibrant cultural diversity, and unique tourism products with enticing and professional culinary experiences, the visit also included business-to-business networking sessions between enterprises from both countries.

According to Nguyen Hong Hai, Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, the outcomes of this program provided valuable data and assessments, enabling enterprises from both sides to gain deeper insights into the potential, demand, and tourism trends of the respective markets. This, in turn, opens up many new opportunities for cooperation.

The Vietnamese delegation took a commemorative photo in front of the eagle statue - the symbol of Langkawi (Malaysia). (Photo: VGP)

Alwi Syakir, Representative of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board in Langkawi, stated that Malaysia has long been a favored destination for Vietnamese travelers, with visitor numbers growing annually. Nowadays, many Vietnamese tourists are venturing beyond Kuala Lumpur to discover new destinations in Malaysia. Therefore, the country is introducing policies to attract more tourists to localities such as Penang and Langkawi. The Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board has been working closely with airlines of both countries to potentially open direct flights from Vietnam to destinations such as Langkawi, and vice versa, in the future.

Providing further insights into future cooperation directions between Vietnamese and Malaysian tourism and travel enterprises, Phung Quang Thang, President of the Green Tourism Sub-Association and concurrently President of the Board of Sustainable Tourism Investment and Development JSC (S.T.I.D) shared that under the spirit of ASEAN cooperation, the goal is to promote growing two-way tourism flows between the two countries. In addition, he revealed that plans are underway to build the “Vista Green Carnaval” journey within the ASEAN bloc. This initiative aligns with the current trend in ASEAN in particular, and globally in general: developing green and sustainable tourism.

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