HANOI – Vietnam’s most important and established travel event, the International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), returns on its 13th year from September 7 to 9 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC).
The annual ITE HCMC is the key international tourism event in Vietnam, and the largest event of its kind in the Mekong subregion for both inbound and outbound markets. Recognized as Vietnam’s one and only national tourism event by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, it is also the only travel event endorsed by the Tourism Alliance of all five countries in the Mekong Region.
The first two days of the event are catered to trade professionals, and the third day to trade visitors as well as the public.
Global tourism under one roof
Following the success of last year’s edition and the positioning of Vietnam as the latest tourism hotspot, ITE HCMC 2017 are expecting an overall increase of 20% in participation.
This year’s event will host a multitude of national pavilions, and current confirmed participations of Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Confirmed exhibitors currently include airlines, hotels, and resorts, tour companies, and travel representatives from countries like Australia, Cambodia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, and Vietnam.
Companies like Bent Thanh Tourist, Berlin Tourismus and Kongress GMBH, Fidi Tour, FLC Group, India Tourism, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), Kyushu Tourism Promotion Organization (KTPO), Lien Hoa Group, Medical Excellence Japan, Ministry of Tourism Cambodia, Ministry of Tourism of Republic Indonesia, Minor Hotel, Muong Thanh Hospitality, Penang Tourism, Plumeria Maldives, Prince Hotels, Saigon Tourist, Taiwan Tourism, Thailand Authority Tourism, Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau, Tour Diamond Travel & Tours, Tourism Promotion Organization for Asia Pacific Cities (TPO), Traveltek, TTC Hospitality, Turkish Embassy Tourism and Information Office, Union of Myanmar Travel Association, Vietravel, Wendy Tour and more, will also be present at the event.
Seminars, industry networking, and business exchange
ITE HCMC is more than just an exhibition; apart from an array of networking events, it will also host a series of high-powered seminars on topics relating to emerging travel and tourism, tourism sustainability, travel technology, social media for tourism and hospitality, investment tourism development, and more.
Special business matching services, online pre-appointments, and buyer-seller meetings will provide exhibitors greater exposure and opportunities. More than 3,600 meetings were conducted between buyers and sellers last year, and the organizers expect the number to grow 15% this year.
Hosted buyers and media programme
Organizers of the ITE HCMC will also invite and host 300 international and regional buyers from 50 major markets like Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, US and among others.
The hosted buyer programme allows buyers from leisure, corporate, MICE, luxury and special interest travel companies to enjoy pre-show and post-show tours to explore Vietnam; make pre-appointment bookings with sellers online; engage in buyer-seller meetings and attend various networking functions. All hosted buyers are carefully selected and approved by an advisory board and event’s organizing committee.
The organizer will also invite and host 50 international media partners from prominent travel, lifestyle, tourism, and broadcast platforms, travel bloggers and social media professionals. Invited media will be hosted to join the networking events, and the pre-show and post-show tours showcasing the beauty of Vietnam.
Itinerary for hosted buyers and media includes – Can Gio mangrove forest, Can Tho (the biggest city in Mekong delta region), Da Lat city, Phu Yen seaside town and Phan Thiet seaside town.
Explore more of Vietnam and the world
The tourism sector will continue to be an important part of Vietnam’s economic plan with the country actively joining tourism promotion and co-operation activities abroad. ITE HCMC presents the best opportunities for buyers and exhibitors to jump on this rising tourism wave and bring their businesses to higher levels.
Mr Bui Ta Hoang Vu, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism says, “Last year event was a spectacular one with more than 26,000 trade and public visitors, and 3,633 meetings arranged between buyers and sellers. There was a diverse variety of travel destinations and options available to both trade professionals and the public.