Attendees of the forum pose for a commemorative photo. (Photo: Chu Son/VNA)

According to the Viet Nam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Central Europe, the Embassy of Viet am in Austria organized the Viet Nam - Austria Tourism Forum on October 13 under the theme “Connecting Destinations, Building Bridges,” aiming to promote tourism potential, foster business connections, and boost tourist exchanges between the two nations.

In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Austria Vu Le Thai Hoang emphasized that tourism cooperation between the two countries holds significant untapped potential, particularly as Viet Nam and Austria are looking to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027.

This is an opportunity for both sides to strengthen friendly relations, expand economic cooperation, and promote people-to-people exchanges through tourism.

According to Ambassador Vu Le Thai Hoang, Viet Nam's tourism sector is experiencing robust growth.

In 2025, Viet Nam welcomed over 21 million international visitors. During the first nine months of 2026, the figure reached 17.7 million, a 14.5% increase compared to the same period the previous year.

Viet Nam aims to welcome approximately 25 million international visitors in 2026, leveraging its strengths in natural landscapes, cultural heritage, beaches, cave systems, and diverse cuisine.

The country has also been repeatedly honored at international tourism awards, including six wins as the “World's Leading Heritage Destination,” seven as “Asia's Leading Destination,” and four as “Asia's Leading Culinary Destination.”

These accolades reflect the diverse appeal of Vietnamese tourism, aligning well with the preferences of Austrian travelers for experiences involving nature, culture, and local life.

The Ambassador emphasized that enhancing air connectivity is a crucial factor in boosting visitor exchanges. Currently, there are no direct flights between Vienna and Viet Nam, requiring travelers from both countries to transit through major aviation hubs such as Frankfurt, Paris, Istanbul, or Doha. Improving transport links would shorten travel times and facilitate tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

At the forum, Mai Xuan Liem, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Thanh Hoa People's Committee, highlighted the province's advantages regarding history, culture, and natural landscapes. He noted that tourism products combining nature exploration, hiking, heritage discovery, and local life experiences hold great promise for attracting Austrian visitors. Thanh Hoa aims to step up promotion efforts, research market demand, and develop suitable tourism programs.

According to data released by Viet Nam's tourism sector during a 2018 tourism promotion event in Vienna, the country welcomed over 18,000 Austrian visitors in 2017 - an increase of 8.5% compared to 2016. These figures highlight the potential for growth in the Austrian market while underscoring the need to diversify products and intensify tourism promotion activities.

Tong Thi Thu Hien, representative of FLC Group in the European Union (EU) and Germany, noted that Viet Nam and Austria possess complementary tourism strengths.

While Austria is renowned for the Alps, historic cities, cultural heritage, and musical traditions, Viet Nam boasts a long coastline, bays, mountains, and the diverse cultures of its 54 ethnic groups. These attributes provide a favorable foundation for developing two-way tourism programs and expanding cooperation between businesses from both nations.

Representing Austria, Ingrid Zimmermann, from the Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism, said that Viet Nam is increasingly becoming an attractive destination for Austrian travelers, thanks to its natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and hospitality. She expressed hope that businesses, regulatory bodies, and tourism organizations from both countries would leverage this forum to enhance information exchange, seek partners, and implement concrete cooperative initiatives.

Zimmermann noted that tourism contributes approximately 6.5% to Austria's GDP. In 2025, the country welcomed around 48 million visitors, accounting for a total of 157 million overnight stays, with nearly 75% of these stays attributed to international tourists. Tourism plays a vital role in job creation and boosting local economies, particularly in rural and mountainous regions.

Austria is currently implementing its “Vision T” tourism strategy, which aims for year-round sustainable development by balancing economic efficiency, the well-being of local communities, and the preservation of natural and cultural resources. Recognizing the growing importance of the Asian market, Austria seeks to strengthen cooperation and tourism exchanges with Viet Nam.

Promoting tourism was also a key topic agreed upon by Vietnamese President Luong Cuong and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker during their meeting in September 2025, held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Both sides affirmed the importance of fostering people-to-people exchanges while creating favorable conditions for businesses and localities to connect and collaborate.

The Viet Nam-Austria Tourism Forum is expected to generate further opportunities for networking among regulatory bodies, travel agencies, and aviation partners, thereby helping to promote destinations, diversify tourism products, and boost bilateral tourism cooperation in the near future.

Strengthening People-to-People Exchanges, Nurturing Viet Nam-RoK Friendship The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organizations held a ceremony on October 3 to celebrate the National Day of the Republic of Korea (October 3, 2333 BC - October 3, 2026). At the ceremony, representatives of the two countries affirmed the important role of people-to-people exchanges in strengthening mutual understanding, close ties and friendship between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

I Was Never Just Passing Through Viet Nam In May 2026, during the final days of his tenure in Viet Nam, I met with Saadi Salama, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Palestine and former Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Viet Nam. He spoke Vietnamese naturally and unhurriedly, occasionally using idiomatic expressions that made one forget he was a foreigner. When he spoke of Hanoi, his eyes lit up with joy tinged with nostalgia. “I am not just a visitor passing through Viet Nam,” he said.