The 15th edition of the International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), the most established travel event in Vietnam and the Mekong sub-region, is set to witness the presence of about 350 exhibitors, 300 hosted buyers from over 50 countries and 40 hosted international media from 14 countries. The 14th edition saw over 7,600 B2B meetings and this year, the organisers are expecting to set a new record.
Scheduled to be held during September 5-7, 2019 at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center, Ho Chi Minh City, the show has added many new elements. “This 15th anniversary edition will enjoy a larger exhibition space of two halls, and extended operating hours from 9am to 7pm on all three days of the event. Previously, public visitors could visit the show only on the last day,” the Organisers said in a press release adding that various new elements have been incorporated in the 15th edition.
The show has been being organized by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Vietnam Trade Fair & Advertising Joint Stock (VINEXAD), and Informa Markets. “As the 15th edition of ITE HCMC nears, we warmly welcome all visitors to our lovely city, and we will do our utmost to show you a memorable time,” Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director of the Department of Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City, said.
Speaking on the new elements of the show, the organizers said that ITE HCMC 2019 will see a Start -up Tourism Forum to discuss fresh solutions, new perspectives, and enhanced customer experiences emerging out of the rapidly changing travel technology scenario.
Apart from the regular exhibitors such as BenThanh Tourist, Cambodia Ministry of Tourism, Hanoi Department of Tourism, Saigon Tourist, Vietnam Airlines, Vietravel, and Vung Tau Department of Tourism; ITE HCMC is set to see the participation of new players like Gangwon Province; Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism; and Seoul Tourism Organisation. Also exhibiting are companies from popular tourism hotspots such as Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Moreover, a series of comprehensive seminars covering the diverse range of topics will also be held during the show. One of them is the new Corporate Travel Trend Forum, organised by Corporate Travel Community. This forum will discuss topics like the Relationship Between Corporate Travel and MICE; An Introduction of Strategic Meetings Management Programme; and The Myths of Corporate Travel Management. The seminars and forums will also cover Medical Tourism, The Rise of the Solo Traveler, Smart Tourism Development in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – Russia Tourism Cooperation, Vietnam – Middle East Tourism Cooperation and Vietnam – Korea Tourism Cooperation amongst others.
“Vietnam continues to witness strong sustained growth in the tourism sector, with local and foreign companies pumping in more investments and opening up new routes. We are thus confident that ITE HCMC will continue to serve the tourism industries in Vietnam and the Mekong sub-region far into the future,” Michael Duck, Executive Vice President of Informa Markets Asia, said and added that the entry Vinpearl Air and AirAsia is expected to make more parts of the country easily accessible to both local and foreign tourists.
