The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has dispatched 54 volunteers to support the development of international tourism in various regions of Vietnam since 2000.
Currently, there are seven JICA volunteers operating in tourist destinations across the country, namely Da Nang, Da Lat, and Can Tho.
Japanese volunteers and serendipity with Vietnam
Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Tsuruta Shiki, 33, volunteering in Da Lat City in Lam Dong Province, recounted her first journey to Vietnam in 2011 as a university student.
During a study tour to Ho Chi Minh City, she had the opportunity to interact with children at a center for disadvantaged youth.
| Tsuruta Shiki is seen holding a Da Lat tourism brochure at the festival. Photo: JICA Vietnam |
Upon completing her studies in 2016, she returned to Vietnam to work for a non-governmental organization (NGO) focusing on environmental education. In three years, Tsuruta undertook projects to support local farmers in Hue.
During her third visit to Vietnam, she aims to assist Da Lat tourism, especially sustainable tourism there.
“I really enjoy life in Vietnam. I feel like there’s a bond between me and Vietnam.
“I hope to continue building relationships with my Vietnamese friends,” said Tsuruta.
Meanwhile, Nagai Junkom, 41, volunteering in Da Nang, expressed her fondness for Vietnamese cuisine, people, and the atmosphere here.
In recent years, the number of Vietnamese living in Japan has increased significantly, especially those in her neighborhood. That pushed her to learn more about Vietnamese culture and its language.
She plans to use the knowledge she gained in Vietnam to assist the Vietnamese community in Japan.
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| Nagai Junko is seen holding Da Nang tourism promoting documents. Photo: JICA Vietnam |
Before coming to Vietnam, Kamiji Shota, 29, based in Can Tho, worked as a marketing executive for a large e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia.
Upon learning about the long-term volunteer program, he applied and underwent a short-term training course on the country’s culture.
After over a year in Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta, Kamiji has developed proficient Vietnamese language skills and can easily communicate with the local people.
Efforts to promote Vietnam tourism to the world
Kamiji explained that he and his colleagues have three main tasks: surveying and researching potential tourist destinations in their respective areas, promoting local tourism on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, and organizing or participating in international tourism promotion activities.
Each volunteer will stay in Vietnam for two years, living alongside locals to fulfill their duties.
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| Kamiji Shota posing with Can Tho tourism promoting documents while introducing his work at the festival. Photo: Ngoc Duc / Tuoi Tre |
“My focus is on promoting tourism to foreigners, especially the Japanese. Can Tho is famous among Vietnamese but not well-known to us. Therefore, I conduct surveys on tourist destinations, share information with travel companies, and talk about them on social media,” Kamiji shared.
After seven months in Da Lat, Tsuruta realized the area’s potential in attracting Japanese tourists.
She remarked that Da Lat possesses beautiful natural scenery that many Japanese do not think Vietnam has.
Located at the altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level, Da Lat offers an experience that most Japanese have never encountered.
Currently, the volunteer’s looking into hosting coffee farm tours, where tourists can experience coffee cultivation and interact with local farmers, with Japanese tourist agencies in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Nagai saw that the central Da Nang City’s strength lies in being a coastal city with developed infrastructure, luxurious hotels, and resorts.
Moreover, the city is close to cultural heritage sites such as Hoi An ancient town and My Son Sanctuary in neighboring Quang Nam Province.
“Japanese people generally like world heritage sites. Japanese tourists can easily visit these destinations from Da Nang. The city itself has many beachfront hotels and resorts, which offer much cheaper prices than in Japan,” Nagai stated.
To develop tourism in Da Lat, Tsuruta believes local authorities should focus on enhancing the city’s original strengths without constructing additional infrastructure.
On the other hand, Nagai hopes that the local government will promote multilingual promotional channels to help foreigners, especially Japanese, learn about the city.
Talking with Tuoi Tre, Deputy Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office Hiraoka Hisakazu mentioned that JICA began dispatching Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) to Vietnam in 1995.
Volunteers in the tourism sector were first dispatched in 2000.
According to Hiraoka, following the travel disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, activities undertaken by tourism-focused volunteers have reignited Japan’s interest in Vietnam.
“JOCV’s support for the tourism sector includes not only tourism promotion and community tourism development, but also cultural heritage protection and human resource development. For example, JICA, including JOCV, is currently supporting the restoration of a Japanese-built bridge in Hoi An.”
“We hope that these grassroots activities carried out by JOCV will lead to the deepening of cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan,” said the leader of JICA Vietnam.
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