Investment Promotion Forum at Vietnam Pho Festival: Enjoying pho while discussing business

Within the framework of Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 in Singapore, Tuoi Tre newspaper organized the Vietnam - Singapore Investment - Trade - Tourism Promotion Forum, to support promoting trade between the two sides.

Tuoi Tre Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Le The Chu delivered the opening speech at the Vietnam - Singapore Investment - Trade - Tourism Promotion Forum - Photo: HUU HANH

In his opening speech at the forum, Tuoi Tre Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Le The Chu emphasized that Vietnam Pho Festival offers two spaces, one for cultural exchange and another to actualize friendly exchanges into opportunities for cooperation.

"Today's forum is not just a festival activity. It is a concrete step, demonstrating our commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation, from culture, tourism, to economics , investment and trade," Mr. Chu said, calling on businesses from both sides to transform understanding and mutual trust into substantive cooperation and specific projects.

Vietnamese pho 'ambassador' opens up cooperation and investment opportunities for businesses

Singaporean businesses interested in Vietnam market

Focusing on specific industries such as green logistics, tourism and aviation services... the forum has the participation of many Vietnamese enterprises with the desire to expand their business and connect more with international and Singaporean partners, including Saigontourist Travel Service Company, Vietnam Airports Corporation (ACV), Vietnam Airlines , Cholimex... and many other units.

With the same purpose of connecting, many Singaporean businesses and entrepreneurs also participated in the forum, such as aviation service provider Gateway Services APAC SATS, Sing-Viet Impact Ventures (SVIV) fund, many Vietnamese-Singaporean investment consulting units, and many other businesses.

Ms. Ashima Krishna, a consultant from Baringa - a business specializing in energy investment and green energy consulting in Singapore, shared that she came to the forum to learn more about the energy landscape in Vietnam, while many of her clients are interested in investing in this topic.

Like Ms. Krishna, Mr. Kelvin Tok, business director of consulting firm CorpWerk, said he is also looking for investment opportunities in Vietnam for his clients.

“We are looking for opportunities for clients who want to expand their business in the region, and Vietnam is one of the potential destinations. We are looking for opportunities in all industries, but F&B is the industry that is of interest,” said Mr. Tok.

Vietnamese and Singaporean businessmen participate in a group discussion at the forum - Photo: HUU HANH

Great opportunity for food and F&B

To help businesses better understand the context and trade needs of both sides, the forum also includes a group discussion, emphasizing the needs and solutions to bring pho in particular and Vietnamese cuisine in general to the world.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Y Yen, Chairman of the Board of Members of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, commented that Vietnam's culinary tourism potential is huge. Accordingly, Vietnam is very proud of its unique and diverse regional cuisine, especially when Pho is considered an international symbol, introduced and spread everywhere.

According to Mr. Yen, Saigontourist Group is grasping and coming up with many strategies for this trend. He said that many of the unit's travel programs are designed so that tourists can not only visit, but also experience Vietnamese cuisine from the stage of buying ingredients, to the stage of cooking and finally enjoying in a space imbued with traditional Vietnamese identity.

Mr. Joe Tan, Executive Vice President of Sing-Viet Impact Ventures (SVIV), highly appreciates F&B investment opportunities in Vietnam - Photo: HUU HANH

Besides the culinary tourism trend, Mr. Joe Tan, Executive Vice President of Sing-Viet Impact Ventures (SVIV), said that Vietnam, with its large population, is also a potential country for investment in the F&B industry.

Mr. Tan said that opening F&B stores in Singapore currently has high investment and operating costs, while Vietnam is a promising market with a large population, and operating costs can be up to 5 times lower.

"I think Vietnam is a very potential market, and I really look forward to having the opportunity to invest in the Vietnamese market," said Mr. Tan.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, experiential tourism and personalized tourism are becoming more and more prominent. The culinary culture of each destination is increasingly promoting its value, thereby leading to the prominence of culinary tourism.

“With such a trend, Vietnamese cuisine will be an opportunity for us to reach international tourists,” Mr. Yen added.

Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 in Singapore connects cultures, promotes cooperation

Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 in Singapore, organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore, Tuoi Tre Newspaper and Saigon Tourist Group in collaboration with the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnamese Liaison Committee in Singapore under the direction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, will take place on October 18 and 19 at Our Tampines Hub, Singapore.

The festival was held in the context of Vietnam and Singapore upgrading their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, affirming the program's significance and stature.

With the message "Pho - Enjoying together, growing together", Vietnam Pho Festival 2025 hopes that the event will not only invite international friends to enjoy a typical Vietnamese dish, which was listed by CNN in the list of 50 must-try dishes worldwide in 2011, but also convey the desire to connect - share - accompany the development of Vietnam.

Through the festival, pho will be introduced as a "cultural ambassador", serving as a bridge for Vietnam and Singapore, as well as international friends, to work together towards a prosperous and sustainable future.

The most important activity of the festival is to bring Singaporeans and tourists the opportunity to enjoy the "authentic" taste of Vietnamese pho. At Our Tampines Hub, attendees will be able to enjoy pho prepared directly by top artisans and chefs from Vietnam.

The main chefs of the 5-star hotels in the Saigontourist Group system, including four luxury hotels Rex Saigon, Majestic Saigon, Grand Saigon, Caravelle Saigon and the brand Pho Thu Duc Golf Restaurant (Vietnam Golf & Country Club), along with famous pho brands such as Pho Thin Bo Ho, Pho Ta, Pho Phu Gia, Pho Vuong, Ba Ban Pho... will bring diversity in cooking methods and ways of enjoying.

In addition to pho, attendees also have the opportunity to enjoy many other traditional Vietnamese dishes, prepared by Saigontourist's 5-star chefs, creating a vibrant "culinary symphony".

In particular, along with the pho festival, a large-scale investment forum was also held, namely the Vietnam - Singapore Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Forum 2025, affirming the substance of the event. The forum took place right after the opening ceremony (morning of October 18).

At the forum, management agencies and businesses will discuss new cooperation trends in green processing and logistics, tourism and aviation services, import and export of Vietnamese agricultural products and specialties, digital transformation and e-commerce.

In particular, the Business Matching program (1-1 business connection) will create conditions for Vietnamese and Singaporean businesses to meet directly and seek practical cooperation opportunities.

Back to topic

NGHI VU

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dien-dan-xuc-tien-dau-tu-o-vietnam-pho-festival-vua-thuong-thuc-pho-vua-ban-chuyen-kinh-doanh-20251018153751607.htm