A view of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage of Vietnam (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Vietnamese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Sanh Chau attended a workshop with representatives of Indonesian tourism authorities to discuss ways to promote tourism and share experiences of developing tourism at UNESCO World Heritage sites in Bali on July 30. Vietnam and Indonesia had many similarities in terms of nature, history and social and cultural traits, giving the two countries the ideal conditions to enhance tourism cooperation, officials agreed the meeting. Chau said that before arriving in Bali, he had only been aware of its beautiful white sandy beaches, but had come to realise that Bali was a cradle of Hindu culture with the respected traditions and values. “Bali has an age-old culture attached to Hinduism,” he said. “Visitors are impressed by the many impressive statues and temples and carved rich in culture.” He pointed out some of the problems Bali faced including traffic jams, a lack of shopping malls, and inadequate tourism products and services. Chau suggested that local authorities should invest more in water sports, shopping malls and infrastructure. “Bali has huge potential thanks to its beautiful landscape and diversified culture. The tourism industry should be promoted more effectively to attract more tourists and increase revenue,” he said. Sharing experience from developing tourism at UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam, he said development and heritage conservation needed to be balanced. “Proceeds from tourism are spent on staff who work at… [Read full story]
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