People of Lang Son and Pingxiang from now on can travel to their tourist destinations, using a border pass instead of complex visa procedures as previously. (Photo: Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism)
Lang Son province (Vietnam) and Pingxiang City (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China) jointly launched a landmark tourism programme on April 29 that allows travellers to use border passes for tours of their destinations instead of complex visa procedures as previously.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from both sides, tourism businesses, media agencies, local residents, and tourists.
The 2-day and 1-night tour is the result of agreements outlined in the Joint Statement of the Spring Meeting of Party Secretaries from Vietnam’s border provinces of Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Cao Bang, and Ha Giang and their border-sharing Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. It is also the outcome of years of bilateral collaboration, aimed at enhancing cross-border tourism development and establishing more efficient tour routes.
Instead of complex visa procedures, travellers can now simply use a valid border pass to enjoy a 2-day, 1-night cross-border tour with a variety of flexible and attractive options offered by travel agencies from both countries.
The implementation of this programme not only creates greater convenience for travellers but also provides a significant boost to local tourism-related businesses. It presents an opportunity for the firms to develop travel products tailored to short stays with reasonable costs, strengthen partnerships with Chinese counterparts, and tap into the vast tourism potential of the Guangxi market which is known for its strong demand for short-distance travel and high spending capacity.
Lang Son will continue to make efforts and work closely with Chinese counterparts to enhance the quality and efficiency of cross-border tourism, laying a strong foundation for the growth of the tourism and service sectors, thereby contributing to the shared prosperity of both sides, said Nguyen Dang An, director of the Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, at the ceremony.
Meanwhile, Wu Xiaohui, secretary of the Pingxiang Municipal Party Committee in Guangxi (China), affirmed that the success of this new travel programme reflects the close and coordinated efforts of authorities on both sides, as well as the support from tourism enterprises and local communities.
Pingxiang will deepen cooperation with the Lang Son Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and related agencies to better align tourism policies between the two countries, he said.