The two sides sign memoranda of understanding at the event. — VNA/VNS Photo

CẦN THƠ — The Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ and Jeonbuk province of the Republic of Korea are stepping up tourism cooperation by strengthening business links, developing tourism products and building tours and travel routes between the two localities.

The two sides aim to tap more effectively into the Korean tourism market while expanding cultural and educational exchanges and business cooperation. The message was delivered at a working session between the Cần Thơ Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and a Jeonbuk delegation in Cần Thơ on August 7.

Nguyễn Văn Bảy, Director of the department, highlighted the importance of strengthening cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation with Jeonbuk and Korean partners. Greater connectivity among management agencies, tourism associations, businesses and training institutions will give Cần Thơ more opportunities to showcase its tourism potential and products while identifying concrete cooperation opportunities with Korean partners, he said.

Jo Kwanghui, Vice Governor of Sunchang County, Jeonbuk Province, who led the Korean delegation, outlined orientations for bilateral cooperation. The participation of Sunchang County, universities and businesses of the RoK demonstrated their desire to strengthen ties with Cần Thơ across various fields, with tourism being a key area, he said.

A notable focus of the meeting was a shift from promotion and introduction towards direct business-to-business connections. Cần Thơ introduced tourism products and services offered by several local businesses, while the Korean delegation, including representatives from Jeonju University, Chosun University and businesses, proposed expanding bilateral tourism cooperation through cross-sector partnerships and new tourism models, such as health check-up and medical tourism and education-linked tourism.

The two sides also signed memoranda of understanding, marking initial agreements that will provide a basis for further concrete cooperation in the coming period.

Bảy said stronger cooperation with Jeonbuk forms part of Cần Thơ’s efforts to promote friendship, cultural exchanges, trade and bilateral tourism development. From a market development perspective, direct links between Cần Thơ’s travel agencies, accommodation providers, tourist attractions and Korean partners are expected to facilitate the creation of products tailored to the needs of tourists from both sides.

The approach also marks a shift from conventional promotion towards joint market development, with businesses playing a direct role in delivering tourism products and services.

Beyond tourism, the participation of Korean universities opens up further opportunities for cooperation in education, cultural exchanges and human resource development. Combining these activities with business networking could provide a stronger foundation for expanding ties between Cần Thơ and Korean partners across multiple sectors and taking cooperation to greater depth.

In the coming period, the effectiveness of the cooperation will depend on translating the discussed cooperation contents, particularly the agreements signed, into concrete programmes, products and business networking activities. This will give Cần Thơ greater opportunities to expand its international visitor markets, while providing Korean partners with additional channels to access tourism products, destinations and businesses in the Mekong Delta’s regional hub. — VNA/VNS