VIETNAM, PHILIPPINES EXPAND TOURISM COOPERATION, PROMOTE DESTINATION CONNECTIVITY

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. witness the exchange of the 2026-2029 Tourism Cooperation Program between representatives of the two ministries - PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – Vietnam and the Philippines have signed a tourism cooperation program for the 2026-2029 period, creating new opportunities to boost visitor exchanges, strengthen destination connectivity, and expand cooperation in tourism development.

The agreement was signed in Manila on June 1 during the state visit of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary and State President To Lam to the Philippines.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the new agreement covers tourism management, development and promotion, as well as cooperation on sustainable and regenerative tourism, new tourism products, and exchanges of tourism experts and officials.

It also includes joint efforts to promote destinations and increase two way visitor flows through coordinated marketing campaigns and familiarization trips for businesses and media organizations.

A Vietnam-Philippines tourism working group will be established to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the program through 2029.

Air connectivity between the two countries has also expanded in recent years, with regular direct flights linking Hanoi and HCMC with Manila.

Since late 2025, Vietnam Airlines has operated direct flights between Hanoi and Cebu, while Vietjet Air has announced plans to launch air services between HCMC and Cebu, further strengthening links between the two countries’ tourism hubs.

During the visit, the two countries also issued a joint statement upgrading Vietnam-Philippines ties to an enhanced strategic partnership. Both sides described tourism as a key driver of economic growth, cultural exchange and people to people connectivity, and pledged to facilitate travel between the two countries.

The new commitments are expected to boost visitor exchanges, strengthen destination linkages, deepen business cooperation and support ASEAN’s sustainable tourism development goals in the coming years.

The agreement comes amid strong growth in tourism flows between the two countries. The Philippines is currently one of Vietnam’s fastest growing inbound tourism markets.

Vietnam welcomed 482,173 visitors from the Philippines in 2025, up 81% from 2024. The growth continued in the first four months of 2026, with Philippine arrivals rising 73.4% year-on-year to 235,798. In the other direction, the Philippines received 67,661 Vietnamese visitors in 2023 and 58,098 in 2024.

In the first 11 months of 2025, Vietnamese arrivals reached 30,650. The figures suggest significant potential for both countries to further expand tourism promotion efforts and strengthen market connectivity in the years ahead.

Source: The Saigon Times