ITE HCMC (the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City), the Greater Mekong subregion’s largest and most established international travel event, concluded its 13th annual event in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on 9 September. A total of 5,282 meetings were conducted between the buyers and sellers during the three-day event, a 45 percent increase from last year, reaffirming the importance of the event as the key bridge in the tourism industry for both inbound and outbound markets in Vietnam and the region.
Endorsed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, Vietnam, and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, and organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Informa Exhibitions, and the Vietnam Trade Fair & Advertising Joint Stock, ITE HCMC 2017 continued to be the leading travel trade event for the international and local travel businesses, creating unparalleled networking opportunities for them to keep up with the travel trends and establish connections with new business partners, further boosting the tourism potential of the country and the ASEAN region.
INCREASED PARTICIPATION FROM INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL MARKETS
The strong support from key exhibitors and new companies internationally and locally has pushed ITE HCMC 2017 to new heights and further promoted the country’s tourism opportunities. ITE HCMC 2017 showcased the strong participation of 300 international and local travel companies, including international promotion agencies from Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.
“The tourism industry in Vietnam has an unlimited dynamism,” says Mr Jack Wei, General Manager of Informa Exhibitions (Asia) and Co-Organiser of ITE HCMC. “For us, it is productive and important to discuss and present this dynamic development in a focused way at ITE HCMC. We also want to offer all of our market partners a central platform so that they can showcase their achievements and successfully prepare their companies for the future of the tourism industry.”
THE HIGHLIGHTED ANNUAL HOSTED BUYERS & MEDIA PROGRAMME
ITE HCMC 2017 focused on presenting the international and centralised platform for the international and local businesses to further promote the region’s tourism. The event this year hosted 305 international buyers from 40 countries and territories, and 40 international media from prominent travel, lifestyle, tourism, and broadcast platforms, as well as award-winning travel bloggers and digital influencers with a strong following on social media.
5,282 business meetings were conducted between the international and local hosted buyers and sellers, a 45 percent increase over 2016. The meetings presented vast opportunities for both inbound and outbound businesses. This is of importance in the context of Vietnam’s tourism where the country welcomed more than one million international visitors in August 2017 alone – an increase of 35.1 percent compared to 2016.
Besides the pre-scheduled business meetings, the international buyers were invited to the seminars led by international and local tourism experts, with topics on ‘How to Develop MICE Tourism in Ho Chi Minh City’ and ‘How to Attract More Chinese and Malaysian Tourists to Ho Chi Minh City’. The hosted buyers and media also experienced different field trips to famous tourist destinations in Vietnam including the Can Gio Mangrove Forest, eco-tourism in Can Tho City and Da Lat.
GALA DINNER & OPENING CEREMONY
The Gala Dinner, themed ‘Vietnam Night’, was one of the first in a series of activities of ITE HCMC 2017. Taking place on September 6, the Gala Dinner was attended by government officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Italy together with the sponsors, partners, hosted buyers, sellers, and media.
The Gala Dinner featured the beauty of Vietnam with 54 ethnic groups, together with different traditional performances from the Mekong sub-region, showcasing the uniqueness and originality to all neighbouring and international countries.
The opening of the 13th ITE HCMC was graced by HE. Mr Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, HE. Mr Nguyen Thanh Phong, Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee together with other government officials from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Italy on 7 September 2017 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS MEETINGS AT ITE HCMC 2017
ITE HCMC 2017 hosted different important multilateral meetings, attended by high ranking dignitaries from the ACMECS countries and Italy, to promote the cooperation and development of the tourism sector among the countries, including, the 4th CLMV Tourism Ministerial Conference, the 3rd ACMECS Tourism Ministerial Conference, and the Vietnam – Italy Tourism Forum.
ITE HCMC 2017 AWARDS
This year, ITE HCMC proudly presented new ITE Awards to recognise the outstanding exhibiting participants and partners for their exemplary and long term support and contributions, including three award categories – ITE Best Booth Design Award, ITE Exhibitor Recognition Award, and ITE Partner Recognition Award. A full list of ITE Awards’ recipients is included in the appended Appendix 1.
TRAVEL FUN FAIR DAY FOR PUBLIC VISITORS
The Travel Fun Fair Day which took place on the last day of ITE HCMC 2017, September 9, attracted more than 16,000 public visitors and presented them with exclusive special travel promotions on flight tickets, accommodation and tour packages. Public visitors also experienced different stage performances, traditional showcases on musical and culinary cultures from international and exhibiting booths.
14TH ITE HCMC ON 6 – 8 SEPTEMBER 2018
ITE HCMC will return for its 14th edition on 6 – 8 September 2018 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, featuring more international and local travel companies, promising a better tourism market mix to the event. ITE HCMC will once again offer both exclusive and unrivalled business networking and matching opportunities to exhibitors and visitors from Vietnam and around the world, so that they can capitalise on the momentum of tourism development and growth.
All travel companies who are looking to develop both inbound and outbound tourism businesses in Vietnam or other CLMT countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand) are welcome to register your interest to exhibit at www.itehcmc.com.
