In order to enhance tourism cooperation, exchange, and development among cities in the region, Tourism Promotion Organization for Asian-Pacific Cities (TPO) was established in 2002 on the occasion of the 5th Asian – Pacific Cities Summit, and has been through 20 years of operation.
TPO works as a network connecting member cities and private tourism units. TPO has been a channel of communication, ideas exchange and sharing among member cities in tourism field, tourist products development, and qualified human resource enhancement for member cities’ tourist development.
Currently, TPO has 99 member cities coming from 10 countries and territories in the Asian-Pacific region, in which 22 ones are from China, 03 from Taiwan (China), 20 from Indonesia, 09 from Japan, 41 from South Korea, 11 from Malaysia, 02 from Russia, one from Nepal, one from the Philippines, one from Thailand, one from Laos, 02 from Mongolia, 04 from Timor Leste, one from Uzbekistan, one from Vanuatu, and 08 from Vietnam (including Hanoi, Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh, Bac Ninh, Da Nang, Long An, Vung Tau).
Since it was established, TPO implemented different activities to support information exchange and cooperative opportunities among member cities, advertisement for tourist destinations, tourist products development, and promoting tourism policies. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, many tourism promotion and advertisement activities were hosted or co-hosted by TPO and member cities. For example, in 2019, besides the 9th Council Meeting organized in Busan (South Korea) with a participation of about 700 delegates of 85 cities from 15 countries, the Executive Committee meetings (the 33rd and 34th) also took place in Jakarta (Indonesia) and Busan (South Korea), Kunming (China), the Human Resource Development Program in tourism organized in Daegu (South Korea), launching the TPO Advertisement Center at Busan Global Village. Diverse activities have been implemented in various forms.
2. Cooperation between Hai Phong and TPO
Hai Phong has been a member of TPO since 2005. By then, Hai Phong has proactively implemented TPO’s activities, such as uploading articles on TPO’s website, attending forums, conferences, and cultural – tourist exchange activities hosted by TPO to introduce and promote Hai Phong’s tourism as well as sharing and learning from TPO’s member cities in tourism development. Through TPO, Hai Phong connected to Busan City (South Korea) to accelerate the opening of a direct flight route between Hai Phong and Busan. During the period of 2007-2015, Department of Tourism was the contact unit of TPO, and since 2016 Department of Foreign Affairs has been assigned to be the city’s focal point to TPO. In March 2018, the city’s delegation attended Regional meeting in Da Lat city, co-hosted by TPO and Da Lat People’s Committee. In June 2019, TPO Secretary visited and worked in Hai Phong, and paid a courtesy call on the city’s leaders.
On the TPO’s invitation, the city’s delegation led by the City People’s Committee leader participated in the 9th Council General Meeting of TPO in Busan City (South Korea) from September 25 to 29, 2019. In the meeting’s framework, the delegation attended activities, including the opening ceremony, discussion sessions on tech application strategies for effective tourism cooperation, sharing successful stories on tourism and promoting information exchange among TPO’s members; plenary session and other important side events such as Mayors Roundtable Summit where mayors expressed ideas on boosting up cooperation and exchange among TPO’s members; bilateral meeting with Vice Mayor of Busan, learning the socioeconomic development, potentials and strengths of the both cities, promoting future cooperation; meeting representatives of member cities and non-governmental units, enterprises, etc. to introduce Hai Phong, exchanging information and seeking tourism cooperation opportunities, attending ribbon cutting ceremony for TPO tourism road; traditional art performance, member cities’ photos exhibition, etc.
The City has been making good use of the TPO (with news channel, website, international cooperation meetings) for the City promotion in general and the City’s tourism in particular to members and partners in Asian-Pacific region. In 2020, TPO suggested Hai Phong host and collaborate organizing H-CLIP 2020 Program in Hai Phong, with topic on acknowledging Vietnam’s culture and Vietnamese language. The program is organized annually from 2008 by TPO’s members. In 2019 K-CLIP took place in Daegu (South Korea) with the participation of 40 youngsters from countries in the world.
During the period from 2020 to the first half of 2022, due to the travel restrictions among countries, tourist advertisement and promotion activities among TPO’s member cities including Hai Phong were adjusted to appropriate measures, including online meetings.
In current situation when the COVID-19 is well controlled in numerous countries across the world with travel measures eased, international flights reopened, the city and TPO cooperation’s activities adjusted, the City will designate delegations to attend direct TPO’s activities, proactively advertising and promoting Hai Phong’s tourism at these events.