ITDR strengthens international cooperation with Korean partners

With the aim of enhancing and broadening the international cooperation in terms of effectiveness and sustainability, the mission organized by Institute for Tourism Development Research was taken place from 30 September to 4 October 2019 to Seoul, South Korea.
On the 1 October, in Seoul, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) and the Institute for Tourism Development Research (ITDR) undertook the 3rd Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony for the period of 2019-2024, highlighting their further cooperation in scientific research, experts exchange and experience sharing for tourism development. Prof. Dr. Kim Dae Kwan, President of KCTI and over 30 experts and researchers representing KCTI’s specialized divisions attended the ceremony. Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of ITDR and head of the mission, accompanied by the Institute’s members. Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Loan, Head of Science Management Division, representative of Department of Science, Technology and Environment, under Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, participated the event.

KCTI and the ITDR enjoy their long-lasting partnership for over 15 years. The two MOU signed in 2004 and 2014 by the two institutes imprinted the remarkably effective outcomes and witnessed practical significance between the two institutions in scientific research cooperation and experience exchange. To date, a number of remarkable events have been implemented such as the Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI) program organized by KCTI in 2014, 2015, 2016; the joint workshops held in Seoul in 2014 and 2018, and in Ha Noi in 2017. In 2019, the 3rd MOU for 2019-2024 was signed to enhance cooperation through such activities as expert exchanges, international conferences, experience sharing, policies making and tourism development promotions in both countries.

Followed by the MOU signing ceremony, the two Institutes held a joint seminar themed “Korea – Viet Nam Tourism”. For the purpose of sharing initiatives and tourism development research, the seminar combined the following presentations: Analysis of Korean overseas travel trends; Viet Nam tourism policy in the new period; Tourism statistics estimation using communication data; Best practices of green tourism development in Viet Nam. Particularly, the seminar discussion defined the concerned issues that support the conclusions made by chairmen: enhancing the exchange of experts and statistical and analytical skills, sharing best practices and data sources between the two institutes.
On 2nd October, the ITDR’s delegation paid a visit and meeting with the representative of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) and Food Services, Sejong University, Korea. The meeting fulfilled the aims of learning the experiences in training and developing tourism human resources, so as to improve the tourism products quality and promote international cooperation in tourism management education.

Since 1998, the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management of Sejong University was officially established to meet needs of tourism industry, providing under-graduate and post-graduate trainings, including Masters and PhDs. Many prestigious training programs are notably recognized such as data analysis and the high-tech application in decision-making process, marketing, effective management in hotels, airlines, travel agencies, restaurants, conferences, theme parks and other institutions in the hospitality and tourism sector. Many professors, doctors and lecturers of the University are well-trained in overseas who currently take on important positions of the Faculty and the college, which ensures the strong and reputable partners in academic and experts exchange between two insitutions.

As the mission accomplished, many important and useful lessons have been drawn, which aims at improving the research quality, contributing to tourism development promotion in the era of international integration and high technology application. The existing and start-up partnerships are strengthened and developed in the period to come.

Chien Thang