Vietnam will grasp the opportunity to promote the country through famous movies, a tourism official has said.

 Deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vuong Duy Bien

At a press conference to launch filming of the Hollywood movie Kong: Skull Island in Vietnam, which took place at the Hanoi Hotel on February 21, deputy minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Vuong Duy Bien, expressed the hope that the country may become a popular destination in the future.

"Vietnam's landscapes have been featured in several international films including Indochine, Dien Bien Phu, and The Lover, which were made by French film-makers" Bien said.

"And we’ve seen a boom in tourists from Europe, especially France, to these destinations after the films were released."

Bien also recalled the recent the success of the film Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass which was shot in Phu Yen Province. The film also brought a rising number of visitors to the province.

Bien admitted that though the tourism sector was well aware of the promotional opportunities that a film can bring, it had failed to make the most of previous opportunities.

But this time the selection of Vietnam for the King Kong movie, the tourism official vowed to grasp the chance to promote the country's landscapes.

"Besides various communications and media campaigns, we’ll try to create the most favourable conditions for the film crew during their time in Vietnam," Bien said.

Bien also called on the ministries of defence and public security to try to simplify procedures for the film crew when they bring in large number of staff and equipment.

"Cumbersome administrative procedures are also a hindrance that has prevented international film makers from choosing to shoot their films in Vietnam," he explained.

The movie Kong: Skull Island began filming in Vietnam on February 22 in central Quang Binh Province.

The film will also be shot in Quang Ninh and Ninh Binh provinces at a number of heritage sites including Ha Long Bay, Van Long Natural Reserve, Ninh Binh’s Trang An, and the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, over a five week period.

Dtinews