Ambassador Ngo Huong Nam, Vice Chairman of the State Committee for OV Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said OVs have become an important resource contributing to tourism development over the past years.
Since 2009, about 700,000 - 1 million OVs have returned to the homeland each year, equivalent to the number of visitors from Japan – the third largest source of foreign tourists to Vietnam. Therefore, the more than 5.3 million OVs form a highly potential market for the domestic tourism sector, he noted.
The official cited the Vietnam Summer Camp, which has been held for young OVs for 20 years, as an example, suggesting similar programmes be organised to draw OV visitors.
Noting the great demand and potential of the OV tourist market, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism said OVs can contribute to the domestic tourism sector by returning to visit their relatives, learn about traditions, and explore investment opportunities.
Domestic businesses are also implementing many creative ideas to attract OV travellers, it added.
At the workshop, OV representatives talked about how to bring into play Vietnamese expatriates’ role in drawing tourists to the country, the demand of OVs in the US and Europe to go back to the homeland to spend their holidays, and some countries’ experience in this regard.
Some travel companies highlighted the prospect of tourism combined with family visit and investment chance exploration, as well as medical tourism for OVs.
Meanwhile, officials of Dien Bien and Phu Tho provinces presented their localities’ tourism potential and incentives for OV visitors.
On this occasion, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and the State Committee for OV Affairs signed a cooperation deal to attract OV resources for tourism development.
