HANOI, 24 August 2018: The 14th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City is set to open at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre 8 September.
Targeting domestic travel, while reaching out to overseas travel buyers, the 6-8 September event is seen as Vietnam’s premier show positioning the country as a gateway to neighbouring Mekong Region counties.
This year, the show should attract exhibitors and travel buyers from 40 countries.
According to Vietnam National Tourism Administration the emphasis is on attracting more visitors from North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia to balance robust growth from Northeast Asian markets such as China, South Korea and Japan.
As many as 375 sellers representing airlines, hotels, resorts, and travel companies from Brunei, Cambodia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Russia will participate in the event, the organisers reported.
National tourist offices from neighbouring countries have been invited to display their travel products at the show. The Lao PDR Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism have both confirmed they will attend and host networking parties.
Workshops and an expo focusing on ‘smart’ tourism and digital technology are part of the show along with travel awards recognising tour operators, hotels and airlines.
To extend its reach the organisers pitch the show as a gateway event to boost travel to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Usually, high-ranking officials from the tourism ministries of the four neighbours also attend for a summit and award presentations.
Airlines such as Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air will launch promotional programmes on the opening day.
Over three days the show should attract more than 30,00 travel consumers and travel trade buyers. It starts as a B2B trade show on the first day and opens to consumers on Friday and Saturday ( 7 and 8 September).
(Source: VNAT)
