Gia Lai Province, located in central Vietnam and home to approximately 3 million people, is actively targeting the South Korean market to attract investment and boost tourism. The local government is expanding cooperation with Korean businesses while also working to establish a charter flight route between Seoul and Quy Nhon, aiming to strengthen the foundation for tourism and economic exchanges.
According to reports from Vietnamese media, a delegation from Gia Lai Province visited South Korea on June 11 to attend a forum organized by the Korea-Vietnam Economic and Cultural Exchange Association (KOVECA). During the event, Pham An Tuan, Chairman of the Gia Lai Province People's Committee, highlighted the region's growth potential and future development strategies, directly inviting Korean companies to invest. He identified key areas for collaboration, including renewable energy, advanced agriculture, processing industries, logistics, entertainment, ecotourism, and marine tourism.
Tuan emphasized that Gia Lai combines the advantages of the southern central coastal region and the central highlands. He noted that transportation infrastructure, including airports, ports, and highways, is steadily improving, which will further expand opportunities for collaboration across various industries.
The delegation also visited the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea to discuss ways to enhance investment and tourism cooperation. Chairman Tuan requested the embassy's assistance in connecting Gia Lai with relevant investment, trade, and tourism organizations and businesses in South Korea, as well as ongoing support for promoting the region and its investment environment.
He asked, "Please consider the feasibility of operating a charter flight route between Seoul and Quy Nhon." Gia Lai plans to launch a trial charter flight in August as part of its efforts to attract Korean tourists and explore new tourism markets.
The provincial government believes that the Seoul-Quy Nhon charter flight will not only boost tourism but also enhance economic, trade, investment, and cultural exchanges. They also see this initiative aligning with plans to upgrade Phu Cat Airport to an international airport.
In response, Deputy Ambassador of Vietnam to South Korea, Vu Ho, praised Gia Lai's proactive investment attraction efforts. He stated, "The Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea will actively promote Gia Lai's potential and investment opportunities and continue to connect suitable Korean partners with the province."
Additionally, the delegation engaged with the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Businesses (KBIZ), Hana Tour, and Blooming Sky to explore collaboration opportunities. During the meeting with KBIZ, Chairman Tuan proposed investments in processing and manufacturing, advanced technology, digital transformation, new materials, deep processing of agricultural products, logistics, and building export supply chains. Renewable energy, tourism, circular economy, and green economy were also highlighted as key areas for cooperation.
Korean companies expressed strong interest in logistics, renewable energy, agricultural processing, and eco-friendly industries. Some companies indicated their intention to visit the region to assess the local investment environment and support policies firsthand.
During the forum, various business ideas were presented, including independent clean energy supply and storage systems, clean energy engines for ships, and plans for establishing a Korea-Vietnam international school. Korean businesses evaluated that the industrial sectors proposed by Gia Lai align well with their future investment strategies.
The Gia Lai delegation also discussed potential collaboration with GlassDome, a carbon emission data management solution company. Both sides established initial consensus on managing and trading carbon credits and developing green industry projects, with GlassDome planning to visit Gia Lai later this month for further discussions.
Meanwhile, Gia Lai Province and the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea have agreed to work more closely together to enhance investment attraction, intergovernmental cooperation, tourism promotion, and private exchanges, and to actively seek practical collaboration projects with Korean businesses.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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