HANOI, 8 April 2021: Organisers of the annual Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2021 are confident they can host the trade show 5 to 8 May 2021 despite the battle against Covid-19 being far from over in Southeast Asia.
Last year, the outbreak of Covid-19 forced the organisers to cancel the annual event hosted in Hanoi.
During a press conference earlier this week, the Vietnam Tourism Association that underwrites the event said the in-person travel show would not include a virtual component but instead would rely on trade visitors from neighbouring countries and domestic travel companies to provide the buyer contingency.
Domestic exhibitors such as hotels, resorts and travel companies will make up an estimated 450 exhibitors buying space at the show, where they will be able to network with travel buyers from other Vietnamese cities. But the promise that travel companies (trade buyers) would attend from Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan will be difficult to deliver as all four countries make it almost impossible for their citizens to travel overseas even on business. If they do manage to attend, they will face a 14 to 21-day quarantine once they return to their home country.
But there is no shortage of optimism with the organisers telling local media at press conference 5 April that the trade far would have a theme “New Normal – New Opportunities”.
According to a report posted online by Vietnam News Agency, VITA vice president Vu The Binh said the Covid-19 pandemic had caused losses of around USD20 billion for the tourism sector last year.
On the sidelines of the travel fair, mainly focusing on travel consumers in Hanoi to increase travel confidence, the organisers will host workshops for travel companies on the “new normal” and “golf tourism”.
VITM will also host a domestic travel forum in the northern province of Ninh Binh, host of Vietnam’s National Tourism Year 2021, 14 to 15 April, where delegates will discuss the importance of the domestic market in reviving tourism as well as measures to boost domestic travel.
On 20 April 20, Ninh Binh will also host the launch ceremony of the Visit Vietnam Year 2021, themed “Hoa Lu – Thousand-year Ancient Capital”.
(Source: News VNA)
