Addressing the opening ceremony, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said that after ten times organised, the ITE has become one of the leading travel events in Viet Nam and the region with expanded scale and diversified activities.

Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hong said that the event, which will last until September 12, will offer a big chance for both domestic and foreign enterprises operating in the tourism field to expand connectivity and establish long-term cooperation.

This year’s expo is expected to attract 25,000 visitors. A wide range of activities will be held during the expo such as an art performance named “Viet Nam Night”, workshops and a photo exhibition themed “Beauty of ASEAN Community”.

A forum on Mekong-Japan tourism and a workshop on strategies to develop a Vietnamese tourism brand through 2020 will also form part of the event.

On this occasion, winners of the Mekong Tourism Alliance Awards 2015 were announced. The awards aim to honour businesses with excellent contributions to the tourism sector of five countries in the sub-Mekong region.