The societies of travel agents of Vietnam and the U.S. signed a cooperation agreement in Hanoi last week to boost tourism by promoting destinations, launching new products and exchanging business information.

Robert Duglin (L), vice president of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), and Vu The Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA), sign a cooperation agreement in Hanoi last week 

The two sides agreed to exchange information on tourism events such as travel expos, road shows and other activities organized in the two countries, especially those organized by the two parties.

The two organizations will also cooperate to organize tours for travel and media agencies of both countries to learn about tourism products, services and destinations.

The two sides will match their members for cooperation and update each other on changes in the entry and tourism policies of the two countries.

The signing ceremony took place at the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) organized by VISTA from April 6 to 9.

The U.S. is a major source market for Vietnam’s tourism sector. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, more than 552,000 Americans visited Vietnam last year, up 12.5% against the same period in 2015 and accounting for over 5% of all international arrivals in Vietnam.

SGT