Vietnam to roll out tourism and cinema promotions in US

The ministry held a press conference on September 16 to introduce fhe Vietnam Tourism-Cinema Promotion, themed "Vietnam - New destination of world cinema". The programme is scheduled to take place from September 23-25 in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Speaking at the conference, Ho An Phong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, shared his insight on the crucial link between cinema and tourism.

According to Phong, cinema and tourism are deeply interconnected, with cinema showcasing the beauty of a country and its culture, while tourism enables visitors to experience it first hand. “We believe that through films shot in Vietnam, international audiences will not only experience the natural beauty, culture, and people of Vietnam in the most vivid and close-up way, but also be motivated to visit the country," Phong said.

The ministry is aiming to open opportunities for collaboration between filmmakers and tourism businesses, with the goal of maximising the potential of both industries.

The ministry said the initiative will promote the beauty of the country, people, tourism, and cinema potential of Vietnam.

The programme is expected to attract over 450 guests, including government representatives, directors, Hollywood stars, the Motion Picture Association, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and travel and social networking platforms.

US Ambassador Marc Knapper expressed his delight at the growing international acclaim for Vietnamese film crews and their substantial efforts, saying the US is keen to encourage filmmakers to select Vietnam as a location, offering them a richer insight into the country’s beauty and culture.

"We hope more US film crews will come and discover Vietnam's beautiful destinations, creating stunning films with unique and picturesque landscapes while also generating revenue for local communities and Vietnamese citizens," the ambassador said. "The US is pleased to see Vietnam's efforts to attract international film crews. Our diplomatic mission fully supports Vietnam's collaboration with the American film industry, reaffirming the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries.”

Providing further details, Nguyen Trung Khanh, director of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, said that the programme will showcase Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ninh Binh, Quang Binh, and Danang, alongside major tourism corporations and airlines.

Khanh highlighted the US as an important player in the global tourism market, with its highly developed economy and robust tourism sector. In 2019, American tourists made around 128 million trips abroad, spending approximately $130 billion. The outbound travel market is growing at an annual rate of about 8 per cent, with projections indicating around 177 million overseas trips by 2029.

Additionally, the US is a key market for Vietnamese tourism, ranking among the top five sources of international visitors. With an annual growth rate of approximately 11.5 per cent, the number of US tourists to Vietnam reached 717,000 in 2023, recovering to about 96 per cent of pte-2019 levels. In the first eight months of 2024, Vietnam welcomed 529,000 US visitors, an 8 per cent increase from the same period in 2023.

Vietnam - one of Asia’s fastest growing cinema markets: US news site Deadline.com, a US premier news source covering the business of entertainment, including movies, television, online, digital and related areas, has described Vietnam as one of Asia’s fastest-growing cinema markets.

Binh Dinh integrates film and sports into tourism strategy Binh Dinh People's Committee is aiming to leverage the strengths of investors, film producers and sports enterprises to forge synergies between the tourism, film, and sports sectors.