Vietnam Airlines CEO Duong Tri Thanh (L) and HCM City Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong sign an agreement for mutual development in HCM City on June 29. — VNS Photo

The HCM City People’s Committee and Vietnam Airlines have signed a five-year deal to boost tourism and help develop the economy of the city and promote the carrier’s brand.

Under the agreement, which takes effect this year, the two sides will work together to boost promotion of investment, trade, tourism and aviation activities by organising workshops, conferences and seminars.

They will organise tourism events in key foreign markets to promote the city’s tourist attractions, study and develop tourism products and routes, and come up with city tourism stimulus packages.

They will annually organise educational, cultural, sporting and tourism events on national and regional scales.

Every year they will host at least one national or international air travel event to advertise HCM City as an attractive, friendly and safe destination for visitors.

Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the city People’s Committee, said signing the agreement would enable the city to boost its tourism and foreign affairs activities and enhance cultural exchanges with other countries.

Duong Tri Thanh, Vietnam Airlines’s CEO, said 65 per cent of the carrier’s activities takes place in the city, which is its most important base as well as a major factor in its development.

Last year 5.2 million international visitors came to HCM City and the number is expected to increase to seven million or even 10 million this year. — VNS