Vietnam-Japan workshop on sustainable cultural heritage tourism

The Institute for Tourism Development Research under the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and Japan Transport and Tourism Research Institute held the second Vietnam-Japan tourism workshop themed “Balancing tourism development and conservation at cultural heritage sites — Vietnam and Japan towards sustainable tourism development” in Ha Noi on October 2.

The workshop took place in both in-person and online formats, with the participation of representatives from state tourism management agencies, tourist destinations, and tourism experts from both countries.

In his opening remarks, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Pham Van Thuy affirmed that with its rich natural landscapes and diverse, culturally vibrant heritage, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for international tourists. Among these, Japan remains one of the top key markets.

The workshop took place in both in-person and online formats.

He also noted that the cooperation between Vietnam and Japan has grown significantly over the past 50 years, especially in the field of tourism. Japan is one of Vietnam’s leading partners in sustainable tourism development projects. Both countries have consistently worked together, sharing experiences in heritage conservation, tourism management at heritage sites, and the development of community-based and cultural tourism destinations.

At the workshop, delegates and tourism experts from both countries discussed specific policies and solutions to optimise the preservation and sustainable development of cultural values without placing excessive pressure on the environment and heritage.

Kawada Atsuya, Director of the Tourism Strategy Division of the Japan National Tourism Organisation, stated that sustainability in environmental, socio-cultural, and economic aspects is essential for a tourism destination to continue developing while preserving its values for future generations. Based on international standards related to these factors, Japan has issued the Japan Sustainable Tourism Standards (JSTS-D) and provided various support packages for local governments and destination management organisations (DMOs) to carry out sustainable tourism management.

The delegates share and propose solutions for preserving and promoting cultural heritage values in tourism development.

According to Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, in order to preserve and promote heritage values in tourism exploitation, it is necessary to continue improving mechanisms and policies to maximise resources for cultural development and support resources for the investigation, inventory, and assessment of heritage resources, as well as building a national database of heritage resources.

In addition, it is crucial to ensure that cultural tourism development is based on respect for the community and does not contradict community interests and principles.

Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.