Speaking at the event, Zoritsa Urosevic, Deputy Secretary General of the UN tourism, emphasied that the event has contributed to affirming the UN’s strong commitment to prioritizing rural development as a platform to aid both global recovery and sustainable development.

She described tourism as a driving force for transformation, which can empower rural communities and contribute to accelerating economic and social equity while simultaneously helping communities to build livelihoods, promote resilience, and create strong linkages between people and the environment.

She noted that tourism has also helped to preserve traditions whilst introducing different cultural values to the world.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong pointed out that to implement the Vietnam Tourism Development Strategy to 2030 with a vision towards 2045, the Prime Minister has approved a programme on rural tourism development in association with the building of new rural areas for the 2021 to 2025 period.

This scheme will help to promote the advantages of agriculture, craft villages, and ecological environment in rural areas, thereby further contributing to the restructuring of the rural economy. 

However, Deputy Minister Phong pointed out a number of challenges faced by Vietnamese rural areas due to small-scale tourism models in remote areas coupled with inadequacies in transport infrastructure and limited resources of investment, human resources, and market connectivity.

Therefore, the event has provided an ideal venue for experts, member countries of UN Tourism in general and Vietnam in particular to come together to devise orientations and seek specific solutions for rural tourism development suitable to the conditions of each country.