THANH HÓA — The People’s Committee of Thanh Hóa Province on October 2 hosted a conference to promote the Thai tourist market, with an aim of attracting more visitors from Thailand to Việt Nam’s north-central locality.

The event brought together more than 40 Thai travel companies and media outlets, along with Vietnamese tour operators specialising in international visitors nationwide. Delegates surveyed local products and routes to explore opportunities for tour linkages and tourism promotion.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Đậu Thanh Tùng stressed the traditional friendship and cultural ties between Việt Nam and Thailand, noting that tourism is a vital bridge for people-to-people exchange and socio-economic cooperation. Similarities in culture, cuisine and beliefs help enhance mutual appeal, while differences in landscapes and tourism products create complementary strengths. Strengthening tourism linkages to boost two-way travel and attract more international visitors remains a top priority in both countries’ strategies, he said.

Thailand has been identified as one of Thanh Hóa’s key markets. In recent years, the province has regularly welcomed Thai travel firms and media delegations for product surveys and networking, resulting in tour operators in northeastern Thailand designing and promoting tours to Thanh Hóa, contributing to international arrivals and revenue growth.

Participants at the conference proposed stronger bilateral promotion, closer ties with Thai companies, and joint cultural, culinary and art exchange events to raise Thanh Hóa’s profile as a distinctive destination.

On this occasion, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a series of tourism promotion activities, including a Thai farm trip (September 26–October 3), a seminar on tourism development (October 2), Lao art performances within the framework of Lao Culture Week in Việt Nam (October 4–6), and the Thanh Hóa Culinary Culture Festival (October 2–5).

Tùng urged agencies to work with Thai partners on concrete cooperation programmes, focusing on product promotion, communications in the Thai market and the development of distinctive, competitive tour packages. The goal, he said, is to make Thanh Hóa a familiar stop for Thai travellers while attracting more international visitors under the principle of “harmonious benefits, shared risks, joint development and mutual success”.

In 2024, Thanh Hóa welcomed nearly 3,000 Thai visitors, up 5.4 per cent year-on-year, accounting for 0.4 per cent of its total international arrivals. In the first nine months of 2025, the figure reached around 1,900, an increase of 11.8 per cent from the same period last year. — VNA/VNS