The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism held a get-together last night at the National Puppetry Theatre, Hanoi between leaders of 12 art organisations of the ministry and representatives of 60 travel agencies. This is the first ever official get-together between tourism managers and artists since the merging of three sectors: culture, sport and tourism.

Minister Hoang Tuan Anh emphasised that travel agencies should introduce international tourists to Vietnam's heritage such as Hue Royal Court Music, Central Highlands gongs, classical opera and particular, water puppetry so as to develop both Vietnamese culture and tourism.

Head of the Travel Department of the Vietnam Administration of Tourism Vu Thai Binh said theatres have are yet regarded in destinations for international tourists due to lack of comprehensive co-operation between art organisers and travel agencies. Geographical location of theatres and restriction of staging art performances suitable with tourists taste are also among the reason, he added.

œIn the coming time, a committee gathering tourism managers and artists should be set up to stage important art programme combined between cultural products and tourism activities to further attract visitors. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism should also pay more investment in improving theatre infrastructure of  to provide better surrounding for tourists,? travel leader Binh requested.

Vuong Duy Bien, director of the National Puppetry Theatre, one of the organisations attracting quite a large number of tourists, said that over the past years, the theatre has co-ordinated with travel agencies but the its only unprompted. Therefore, he held that, after the get-together the co-operation between tourism and culture would be strengthened for the development of both culture and tourism.