The Tourism Promotion Organisation for Global Cities (TPO) organised a regional meeting in Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on March 21, seeking measures to bolster regional connectivity for tourism development.

At the meeting in Da Lat city (Photo: VNA)

The event was attended by TPO Secretary General Woo Kyoung Ha and representatives of six Vietnamese cities and provinces which are members of the TPO, namely Hanoi, Phan Thiet, Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau and Long An.

According to Vice Chairman of the Tourism Association of Lam Dong province Cao The Anh, regional connectivity aims at building a mechanism to promote tourism, build brand for a destination, and help it reach out to the world.

He suggested that the cities should develop their most standout tourism offerings, adding Da Lat will focus on green tourism to attract visitors.

Anh went on to say that the TPO should give information on its members’ consumer behaviour so that cities will be able to develop suitable tourism products.

Meanwhile, Seo Ji Ae from the TPO Secretariat recommended the Vietnamese localities learn the experience from the Republic of Korea’s Busan city, which has policies and applies technologies to support tourists in searching for entertainment zones.

Busan has emerged as a hotspot for incentive and entertainment tourism, she said, adding the city is moving forward into the future as a 15-minute city where all essential services are accessible within a 15-minute walk or bike, with green space for its citizens and tourists.

At the event, participants gave their opinions on the TPO’s initiatives to support its members to develop and connect for tourism promotion.

As a member of the TPO since 2019, Da Lat has made efforts to popularise its tourism by joining tourism promotion activities of the organisation.

Last year, the city welcomed 6.7 million visitors, up 11.6% year-on-year. In the first quarter of 2024, it hosted 1.9 million tourist arrivals, rising 11.4% against the same time last year, with international visitors reaching 133,000