Ha Long – A thematic seminar focusing on culture-tourism exchange and human resources development between Vietnam’s northern province of Quang Ninh and Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture was held on November 17. The seminar, part of the Hokkaido Festival 2023 in Ha Long city, aimed to boost bilateral cooperation in these key areas.

According to Vietnam News Agency, Vice Chairwoman of the Quang Ninh Provincial People’s Committee, Nguyen Thi Hanh, noted that approximately 12,300 Japanese tourists visited Quang Ninh this year, accounting for about 1.5% of total foreign arrivals in the province. Hanh expressed the desire for enhanced cooperation between the two localities in promoting destinations, exchanging delegations, and potentially launching air routes between Van Don International Airport and New Chitose Airport. She also expressed hope that Hokkaido authorities would contribute to the development of a faculty of Japanese studies at Ha Long University by sending lecturers and volunteers.

Discussions at the seminar centered around the current state and potential strategies to strengthen tourism, human resources development, and cultural exchange between Quang Ninh and Hokkaido. Participants shared experiences and insights from their visits to each other’s localities, offering realistic perspectives on their respective cultures and people.

Additionally, a seminar on green agricultural growth was conducted in Quang Ninh on the same day. Local authorities proposed that the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries consider Quang Ninh as a focal point for cooperation in aquaculture and agro-aquatic product processing for export. Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan emphasized the importance of green and ecological agriculture and the shift from traditional agricultural production to a more diversified, market-oriented agricultural economy.