The 14th edition of the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) concluded after yet another successful run on 6-8 September 2018 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. 
Attended by 30,000 visitors, the exhibition showcased over 300 participating companies and brands across industries that include Hotels & Resorts, Tour Operators & Travel Agencies, Attractions, Theme Parks & Museums, and Travel Related Products and Services. A total of 7,646 meetings were conducted between buyers and sellers during the three-day event, an increase of 45% from last year – a testament of the event’s status as the key platform for the tourism market in the region.
“We are very happy to bring together local and international tourism and travel organizations in Ho Chi Minh City, where they can meet and explore business collaborations, as well as to showcase Vietnam as a tourism destination,” said Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Agency, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism.
ITE HCMC has established itself as an important annual travel expo in Vietnam – a platform where both international and regional buyers, suppliers, trade professionals and media from the tourism and travel industry meet and exchange the latest developments in the industry.
One of the exhibitors, Vinpearl, had only good things to say about their experience at ITE HCMC, “The exhibition has attracted many big companies in the tourism industry, and it’s a great opportunity for Vinpearl to reach out to potential buyers and penetrate new markets,”
“We were able to promote different parts of Korean Tourism to the visitors, and our co-exhibitors met many new buyers and made deals!” said Korean Tourism Organization’s representative, on their experience as an ITE HCMC 2018 exhibitor.
The expo also featured seminars and networking activities, such as Gala Dinner, Welcome Dinner and Post-Show Tours for Hosted Buyers and Hosted Media, as well as Travel Fun Fair Day for public visitors.
HOSTED BUYERS AND MEDIA PROGRAMME
Aligned with the objective of bringing the right buyers to the international and local businesses at the event, as well as to promote the region’s tourism, ITE HCMC hosted 250 buyers from 43 countries and territories, and 25 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.
A total of 7,646 business meetings were conducted between buyers and sellers during the three-day event, an increase of 45% from last year. These meetings represent key opportunities for inbound and outbound businesses in Vietnam and in the region.
The representative of TripAdvisor, one of our Hosted Buyers from Singapore, said, “ITE HCMC has helped us meet and build networks with many suppliers in one location!”
The Hosted Buyers and Media were treated to a Welcome Dinner at Indochina River Cruise upon arrival, as well as optional Post-Show Tours after the event.
OPENING CEREMONY AND GALA DINNER ITE HCMC
2018 kicked off with the opening ceremony, which was graced by Mr. Bui Ta Hoang Vu, Director, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Mr. Jack Wei, General Manager, Informa Global Exhibitions Asia, and Mr. Pham Dang Khanh, Director, VINEXAD Saigon, as well as other government officials from Cambodia, China, Japan, Laos and Vietnam.
The Gala Dinner, which took place on 5 September, was themed “Vietnamese Culinary Delights” and treated sponsors, partners, hosted buyers, sellers, media, and government officials from the region to a feast of Vietnam’s best cuisines.
ITE HCMC SEMINARS
Aside from the exhibition, ITE HCMC invited industry experts to conduct seminars on the latest developments in the tourism and travel industry in the region. Featuring topics such as “Innovation in Tourism Products – From Ideas to Business Reality” and “Advancing the Viet Nam Travel and Tourism Sector – Enhancing Data Driven Decision Making and Using Blockchain”, the seminars were wellattended by international buyers at the event.
ITE AWARDS 2018 ITE HCMC 2018 also gave out three ITE Awards at the event, namely the ITE HCMC Best Booth Design Award, ITE HCMC Strategic Partner Award and the ITE HCMC Locals’ Participation Award.
The ITE HCMC Awards is established to honor travel enterprises, hotels, resorts and international carriers and airlines for their positive contributions to the event. A full list of ITE Awards’ recipients is included in Appendix 1.
TRAVEL FUN FAIR DAY FOR PUBLIC
The Travel Fun Fair Day, which took place on the last day of ITE HCMC 2018 on 8 September, attracted over 16,000 public visitors with exclusive special travel promotions on flight tickets, accommodation and tour packages. The event also featured stage performances and traditional musical and culinary cultures from international and local booths.
15TH ITE HCMC ON 5-7 SEPTEMBER 2019
ITE HCMC will be celebrating its 15th anniversary, as well as the Vietnam Year of Tourism, on 5-7 September, promising more exhibitors, more DOT provinces, more visitors, buyers and media, a stronger program and seminars, as well as extended hours for all three days, till 7pm!
“We are excited about ITE HCMC 2019,” said Ms. Violet Yong, Exhibition Director of Informa Global Exhibitions Asia, Co-organizer of ITE HCMC, “There will be new features in the exhibition, with the introduction of Dental Tourism, Spa, MICE & Corporate, Hotels & Resorts and e-travel.”
ITE HCMC 2019 will offer exclusive and unrivalled business networking and matching opportunities to exhibitors and visitors from Vietnam and around the world, so that they can capitalize 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.
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