Vietnam should leverage cuisine to lure European tourists: UK conference

Vietnam should leverage cuisine to lure European tourists: UK conference

Vietnam should focus on promoting its culinary delights to attract more European tourists to the country, according to suggestions put forward at a conference held in the United Kingdom on November 2.

The conference, jointly organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, aimed at finding ways to promote local tourism in European countries in the 2015-17 period, the

Vietnam News Agency said.

One of the activities suggested at the event was to introduce Vietnamese cuisine to foreign friends as a way to promote Vietnam’s tourism.

This concept is also known as ‘food tourism’ – or ‘culinary tourism’ – which is defined as experiencing the food of a country, region, or area and is now considered a vital component of the tourism experience.

In a recent interview with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Vietnam Tourism Ambassador to the European Union Bobby Chinn also pointed out the important relationship between food and tourism promotion.

Besides managing a restaurant in London that mainly serves typical Vietnamese dishes, the New Zealand chef and TV host also finds opportunities to promote Vietnamese cuisine in both local and foreign media.

“You can’t get that in a fake culture showcase venue – you experience that in the real world. If you like the food, come to experience it at its origin,” Chinn said while encouraging people to visit the country whose food impresses them.

Another way to promote tourism is through the media, as proposed at the conference.

“Martin Yan – Taste of Vietnam,” a 26-episode series, has aired on more than 300 TV stations across the U.S. since September 6.

Launched in Vietnam in mid-2013, the show features world-renowned Chinese American chef Martin Yan traveling to 15 provinces and cities across the Southeast Asian country.

By depicting the delicious tastes of Vietnamese culinary delights, the series also promotes the food’s place of origin to the world.

“I have already reached out to try and bring Discovery Network back and dovetail with their brand and international distribution with the support of the government, and shoot a series on Vietnam showcasing its people, culture and natural resources,” Bobby Chinn also revealed regarding his plan to use the media to promote local tourism.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Hoang Long stated at the conference that his experience was to integrate promotional activities with other types of events in the European country, thereby taking advantage of local media in spreading information.

In its presentation, the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK suggested that the World Tourism Market, an event annually held in London, is also a great chance to promote Vietnam’s tourism and find business partners.

Ho Anh Tuan, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, emphasized the importance of close coordination between the ministry, the Vietnamese diplomatic missions in Europe, national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, and businesses in promoting Vietnam’s tourism.

Huong Pidduck, head of the Vietnam2uk tourism firm in the UK, suggested that Vietnam should use simple, easy to remember slogans and conduct promotional activities in the same place and at the same time each year.

Other comments given at the event encouraged Vietnam to join large tourism markets in Europe, invite foreign media to visit the country, and organize annual events to promote tourist destinations and products.

The Southeast Asian country is expected to welcome up to 8.2 million international tourists and 37 million domestic holidaymakers, and rake in VND260 trillion (US$12.24 billion) from foreign travelers this year, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

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