Event

The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Party General Secretary To Lam and other key dignitaries, including his wife, several Vietnamese Politburo members, and Tuan Chang Lih Kang, Malaysia’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, along with senior Malaysian representatives.

As part of the agreement, Saigontourist Group and Genesis Group will collaborate to expand markets and promote tourism, hospitality, transportation, cuisine, education, event management, festivals, and tourism fairs in Vietnam, Malaysia, and other countries. They will also develop and promote tourism products tailored to visitors from both nations, reinforcing the “two countries - one destination” program. This partnership is expected to enhance the tourism potential of both countries and create new, attractive, and innovative tourism offerings. With a wealth of compelling destinations in both countries, the collaboration will help expand the market and encourage two-way tourism between Vietnam and Malaysia.

The exchange of the cooperation agreement between Saigontourist Group and Genesis Group is witnessed by Party General Secretary To Lam,
Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, Chief of the Party Central Committee Office Nguyen Duy Ngoc, along with senior leaders from Malaysia

Saigontourist Group, established on August 1, 1975, is a leading tourism conglomerate in Vietnam. The group currently manages more than 100 subsidiaries, including hotels, resorts, restaurants, travel agencies, entertainment venues, tourism training centers, exhibition and conference facilities, golf courses, and cable television. In its ongoing efforts to enhance its brand and broaden its connections, Saigontourist Group has taken the lead in launching several key strategic partnership initiatives with domestic and international partners.

“The signing of this cooperation document between Saigontourist Group and Genesis Group today takes place within the context of the growing Vietnam-Malaysia partnership. It not only demonstrates the commitment of both parties to promoting tourism cooperation but also plays an important role in enhancing the image of Vietnam’s people and culture to international audiences. We hope this cooperation program will create new opportunities to develop tourism products, improve service quality, attract more visitors to both Vietnam and Malaysia, and contribute to the economic and social development of both nations,” said Pham Huy Binh, chairman of Saigontourist Group.

Genesis Group is a multi-industry conglomerate focused on leveraging emerging trends across various sectors. By partnering with global creative experts, the group strives to provide outstanding and exceptional experiences for its customers. Its business portfolio includes retail, food services, education, real estate development, hotel management, golf club management, and more. “We hope that the collaboration between Saigontourist Group and Genesis Group, two leading tourism conglomerates in ASEAN, will bring a new breakthrough to boost the growth of two-way tourism between Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as promote the friendly and beautiful image of both countries to their citizens, tourists, and the international community,” said Ta Hui May, chairwoman of Genesis Group.

Malaysia, along with Southeast Asia in general, is an important source market for Vietnam’s tourism industry as well as Saigontourist Group. The group’s network serves hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asian tourists annually, generating significant revenue in billions of Vietnamese dong. Recently, there has been a notable increase in the number of Muslim tourists from Malaysia and other regional countries. On the other hand, Saigontourist Group’s subsidiary, Saigontourist Travel Service, has sent tens of thousands of Vietnamese tourists on tours to Malaysia or multi-country itineraries connecting Malaysia with other Southeast Asian nations.

According to Pham Huy Binh, the Vietnam-Malaysia tourism promotion program is one of Saigontourist Group’s international marketing activities for 2024. These include programs held in cooperation with Vietnam Airlines to strengthen the promotion of Vietnam’s tourism image to international audiences, contributing to the development of tourism in HCMC and Vietnam. Notable initiatives include the launch of the Vietnam destination program in the Chinese market in April 2024 and the Vietnam-Cambodia Tourism Promotion Program, entitled “Two Countries - One Destination,” in July 2024.

Most recently, Saigontourist Group, in collaboration with Vietnam Airlines, organized the VietnamEurope Tourism Promotion Program in Munich, Germany, on October 7, 2024. Furthermore, the Vietnam tourism promotion program in Japan is expected to take place in December 2024, along with major international tourism events such as ITB Berlin 2024 and WTM London 2024. In October 2024, Saigontourist Group, in partnership with Tuoi Tre newspaper, successfully organized the Vietnam Pho Festival 2024 in Seoul, South Korea, attracting over 28,000 visitors. This event reaffirmed the group’s brand, highlighted Vietnamese culinary culture, and created a significant impact in the international market.