More than 700 businesses from 32 localities nationwide and 18 countries and territories will participate in the 13th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), which will run at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre from September 7 to 9.
The ITE HCMC, which is a leading tourism event in the Mekong sub-region, is held annually by the HCM City People’s Committee and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
It is viewed as an opportunity for Vietnamese and foreign firms to introduce their tourism products and services. This year, with the theme “Your Gateway to Tourism in Asia”, there will be more than 300 booths, a rise of 15 percent compared to last year’s figure.
A highlight of the event will be a programme designed especially for international buyers and the media, with the expected attendance of nearly 300 buyers and 40 reporters and bloggers from the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany, India, New Zealand and Thailand, said Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director of the HCM City Department of Tourism, at a press conference on August 30.
An array of networking events will be held in the framework of the fair, including a meeting of tourism ministers and seminars on tourism-related topics such as introduction of HCM City’s tourism and Viet Nam-Italia travel cooperation development.
According to Ngo Hoai Chung, Deputy Director of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, Viet Nam aims to serve 13 million international visitors in 2017, an increase of 30 percent compared to 2016.
To realize the target, Viet Nam’s tourism sector has stepped up activities to promote tourism and increased links with travel agents and airlines.