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Asian cities fly their flags in Hanoi

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HANOI, 12 September 2018: Asian cities joined in a tourism exhibition to promote outbound travel from the Vietnamese capital at the Ly Thai To Flower Garden venue, 8 September.

The event was organised by member cities of the Council for the Promotion of Tourism in Asia (CPTA).

Hanoi’s outbound travel market is fast catching up with Ho Chi Minh City as more low-cost flights link the capital to major Asian cities.

Opening ceremony of the CPTA exhibition in downtown Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Exhibitions stalls were sponsored by Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Manila, Jakarta, and Hanoi, featuring iconic cultural-experiences and activities in each of the participating cities.

Discounted airfares were on offer to residents who gathered at the two-day exhibition.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, CPTA president Yuji Fujita said members join the annual event to conduct tourism promotion activities together and show the opportunities for travel to neighbouring countries in Asia.

Hanoi Tourism Department director, Tran Duc Hai, added that the exhibition would foster connectivity and a cultural experience exchange, while promoting the development of sustainable tourism.

The two-day event was held on the sidelines of CPTA’s 16th annual meeting, which took place, 6 to 9 September. This is the fourth time that Hanoi has hosted the meeting.

CPTA draws its members from the state tourism management agencies of 10 Asian cities, namely Tokyo (Japan), Bangkok (Thailand), New Delhi (India), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Taipei (Taiwan), Metropolitan Manila (Philippines), Tomsk (Russia), and Hanoi.

Meanwhile a low-key Travel Expo in Ho Chi Minh City closed 8 September with the organisers claiming “nearly 400 travel buyers” attended. But there was very little publicity on the show either before or post event with an apparent lower attendance from international media that seen in previous years.

Perhaps the lack of interest was due to the country hosting the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Halong Bay in January 2019 with time constrained international buyers preferring to attend the regional show.

The 14th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) claims to be a gateway show with strong representation from neighbouring countries Cambodia, Myanmar Laos and Thailand. However, most countries in the Mekong region have their own shows that also claim to link travel buyers to neighbouring destinations.

(Source: VNAT/ VNA)

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