HCM CITY — Việt Nam and Nepal have huge potential for co-operation in various sectors, especially tourism, according to the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

More and more companies from Nepal are seeking opportunities in Việt Nam while that country is also a promising market for Vietnamese enterprises, Nguyễn Thế Hưng, deputy director of the VCCI’s HCM City branch, said.

Trade between the two countries was modest at US$38 million in the first nine months of last year, he told a seminar on business opportunities in Nepal held in HCM City on Wednesday.

Many Vietnamese products could be exported to Nepal, including coffee and tea, other agricultural produce, textile and garment, electrical equipment, and food, he said.

Việt Nam is also increasingly popular with Nepali tourists, he said

Around two million Nepalis travel overseas every year, and Asia is their favourite destinations, he said.

Nepal receives 1.2 million foreign visitors every year, and this is growing at 24 per cent a year.

India, China and Western Europe are its top sources of visitors.

In 2017, approximately 7,000 Vietnamese tourists traveled to Nepal, with most of them choosing spiritual tourism and eco-tourism, he added.

Nepal is open for business in many areas, like hydropower, transport, agriculture, tourism, information and communication technology, mining and minerals, health and education, and finance, Janga Bahadur Gurung, counsellor and deputy chief of mission at the Nepali embassy in Bangkok, said.

His Government would announce the new policies for attracting FDI at the 2019 Nepal Investment Summit to be held from March 29 to 30, he said.

Two dozen viable projects in various sectors would be showcased at the summit, he said.

More than 700 participants from more than 50 countries have registered to attend the summit, he added.

Pratigya Rai, second secretary at the embassy in Bangkok, said with its mountain ranges, myriad temples, ancient towns, wildlife and colourful culture, Nepal has a huge amount to offer.

It has eight of the 10 world’s highest mountain peaks, 12 national parks, one wildlife reserve, six conservation areas, and one hunting reserve, she said.

There are direct flights from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to Kathmandu, the country’s capital, she said.

Kathmandu Valley with its ancient temples and myths and where Hinduism and Buddhism meet is a popular place to visit in Nepal, she said.

Visitors can also try their hand at mountain flights, jungle discovery, zip flying, bungee jumping, mountain biking, sky diving, canyoning, mountaineering, white water rafting and kayaking, paragliding, and trekking, she said.

Nepal has very simple procedures for tourist visas and Vietnamese nationals can even obtain them on arrival, she added. — VNS