Vietravel Group signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation with Fukushima province

Since the early 1990s, when diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan were warmed up again, cultural and tourism exchange activities to promote friendship between the two countries have become increasingly developed. In addition, the connection between the two countries is also clearly demonstrated through meaningful and practical actions such as: The Vietnamese Government decided to immediately send 200,000 USD to support Japan after the country suffered a double disaster in 2011; The Japanese Government provided Vietnam with 5 million doses of vaccine to join hands to repel the Covid-19 epidemic in Vietnam...

Promoting the spirit of cooperation and development, over the years, Vietravel has always promoted communication activities about Japanese tourism products. From 2018 to the end of 2023, Vietravel has brought more than 65,000 visitors to visit the land of the rising sun. Regarding tourism in Fukushima province (Japan), since the locality was declared a safe destination by the Japanese Government after more than a decade of efforts to overcome, monitor the environment, improve infrastructure & services after the double disaster; Vietravel is the first pioneering enterprise in Vietnam to coordinate with the Fukushima Provincial Government to implement many communication campaigns to raise awareness for tourists as well as promote tourism, thereby increasing the number of tourists to Fukushima, contributing to rebuilding a positive image for the locality.

At the same time, Vietravel continuously carries out tourism promotion activities for Fukushima province in particular and Japan in general, clearly demonstrated through major events that have been organized such as the Japan Cherry Blossom Festival; opening of Fukushima province's booth at Vietravel Spring Fair; promoting tours and experiences with the participation of press agencies, influential artists on social networks... to bring visitors new perspectives on this beautiful land.

In recent years, Vietravel Group has always been a pioneer in market promotion activities, especially in provinces and cities that are in the process of recovery, promoting and boosting local tourism economy. Therefore, Vietravel has always been a comprehensive strategic partner of Fukushima Prefecture, leading tourism businesses with achievements in bringing Vietnamese tourists to visit and experience this colorful land. In order to contribute to raising awareness as well as promoting tourism, Vietravel and Fukushima Prefecture have both determined that implementing strong tourism promotion campaigns is indispensable in the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding. The activities are carried out to raise awareness of the unique cultural, natural and culinary beauty of Fukushima Prefecture, attract the attention of Vietnamese tourists, expand the international tourism market, strengthen air connectivity and sustainably develop the tourism industry of both sides.

This is the second consecutive time that a strategic cooperation agreement has been signed between the leaders of Fukushima province and the leaders of Vietravel Group. Attending and witnessing the event were Mr. Uchibori Masao, the delegation of leaders of Fukushima province; leaders of Vietravel Group; representatives of relevant departments, agencies... and news agencies and press.

Under this agreement, Vietravel and Fukushima Prefecture will jointly carry out many activities to increase the flow of international tourists, including Outbound (bringing Vietnamese tourists to travel abroad) and Inbound (bringing foreign tourists to travel to Vietnam). The two sides will closely coordinate to promote the operation of charter flights between Vietnam and Fukushima, coordinate aircraft, support operations and improve infrastructure at Fukushima Airport. This is to ensure convenience and safety for passengers, while optimizing the airport's operational efficiency.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Uchibori Masao - Governor of the province commented: " Not only is Fukushima the locality with the advantage of the airport closest to Tokyo, but it is also the gateway to the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan. In particular, the number of foreign tourists coming to Fukushima to admire and experience the unique local culture accounts for more than 40% of the total number of foreign visitors to the Tohoku region. Fukushima will continue to make efforts to support flights, especially operated by Vietravel Airlines, to facilitate people in Fukushima to travel to Vietnam and vice versa". He believes that continuing to promote this good friendship will be a premise for developing cultural, economic and diplomatic exchanges between Vietnam and Japan in the coming time.

On behalf of the Group, Mr. Nguyen Quoc Ky - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vietravel Group also expressed his sincere thanks for the attention and active support from the Provincial Leaders. At the same time, he shared about the development orientation of tourism products combining multimodal transportation, in which aviation is one of the strengths of Vietravel Group.

He said: “We especially admire the miraculous recovery as well as the spirit and goodwill to rebuild and overcome the difficulties after the double disaster of Fukushima province. Therefore, Vietravel hopes to be a strategic and trustworthy tourism enterprise to accompany the development policies set forth by Fukushima province. In recent years, Fukushima has been a destination that Vietnamese tourists prioritize and choose, because Fukushima province in particular and Japan in general possess many new destinations as well as diverse natural landscapes. Therefore, we hope that in the near future, Fukushima province will develop a series of cultural and culinary events at the destination so that Vietnamese tourists have the opportunity to experience and understand more about the locality. At the same time, with the strength of owning a complete tourism ecosystem including two sectors: tourism and aviation, we are committed to constantly improving the quality of products and services with the following criteria: multiple experiences, diverse departure schedules, optimal costs…”

As an important part of this cooperation agreement, Vietravel Airlines will play a key role in operating direct charter flights from Vietnam to Fukushima Prefecture. These flights will connect directly from major cities in Vietnam such as Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City to Fukushima Airport, creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese tourists to explore the beauty and unique culture of the locality. In its 2024 business plan, Vietravel plans to bring more than 16,800 visitors to visit and explore Japan. In fact, in the first 6 months of this year alone, Vietravel has brought more than 2,000 tourists to Fukushima. It is expected that in the coming time, the number of tourists to this province will continue to increase thanks to the subsidy policy as well as new experiences in Vietravel tour products. It is expected that in 2025, Vietravel will bring more than 21,600 Vietnamese tourists to Japan to enjoy the cherry blossom season, an increase of 23% compared to the same period in 2024. Of which, Vietravel and Vietravel Airlines will deploy more than 10 charter flights to Fukushima province. The first flight is expected to depart on March 22, 2025.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation between Vietravel Group and Fukushima Prefecture will be a premise to exploit the potential and strengths of each side, support each other and resonate for comprehensive development. This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese tourists to have more opportunities to explore and experience new tourist and resort destinations in Fukushima Prefecture in particular and Japan in general in the coming time.

Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/nhat-ky-vietravel/tap-doan-vietravel-ky-ket-bien-ban-ghi-nho-hop-tac-chien-luoc-voi-tinh-fukushima-nhat-ban-v15675.aspx