Lê Hương

The annual Vietnam International Travel Mart is in full swing in downtown Hà Nội, gathering over 450 booths by tourism businesses, localities and tourism authorities from 16 nations and territories.

The event aims to promote tourism exchanges between businesses, and inbound and outbound tourism activities. Some 80,000 people are expected to visit the site to grab the best deals.

There are plenty of deals on offer from tourism providers showcasing domestic and international destinations.

Themed “Green Transition for Sustainable Development”, the event will include various workshops, MOU signing ceremonies and cooperation exchanges between businesses and localities.

Addressing the opening ceremony on April 11, Deputy Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports Hồ An Phong appreciated the travel mart hosted by the Việt Nam Tourism Association every year, saying it “is an important event with great and practical meaning”.

Đoàn Thị Thanh Trà, market director of Saigon Tourist, told the Việt Nam News that for this event, the company had an investment in products as well as unprecedented special incentive policies. Specifically, for domestic travel, the company has a 45 per cent discount programme.

“We coordinate with Vietnam Airlines to have special products for Hà Nội tourists who want to visit Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang or Đà Lạt with a 45 per cent discount, available only for fair customers,” she said.

The VITM is expected to receive some 80,000 visitors over four days. — VNS Photo Lê Hương

“There is also a tour policy priced under VNĐ1 million as a gift for all tourists, so they have more options. A series of tours priced at VNĐ333,000 (US$13.2) at the five-star FLC Sầm Sơn Hotel is a preferential programme for tourists.

For foreign travel, the company has launched an all-inclusive trip programme to Korea, Japan and China. This is a very new itinerary with a preferential price of only VNĐ5-7 million. Especially the VNĐ10 million discount programme when traveling to Europe and Northern Europe is a huge incentive at the fair.

“This fair is also an opportunity to promote eco-tourism and green tourism on the media to further develop this product line,” she said. “Currently, it is a product mainly applied to foreign customers that we hope to develop. Besides, we build and especially want to develop a series of “I Love Hà Nội” tours, with the hope that this product is not only for international tourists but also domestic ones.”

Senior dignitaries also got in on the act to promote their own countries.

Indian Ambassador Sandeep Arya said Indian businesses hope to showcase opportunities for travellers to India and present the entire range of things which people can do when visiting India.

“Right now, I think we have a good level of travel and tourism between India and Việt Nam,” he said.

“Last year, in 2023, India was the eighth largest source of tourists into Việt Nam. About 400,000 Indians travelled to Việt Nam. Our number suggests that about 45,000 Vietnamese travelled to India last year. This is a reasonable level, but I think there is opportunity to really expand it. We are hoping to increase the number of travellers in both directions.”

Lee Jae Hoon, director of the Korea Tourism Organisation Hanoi Office, said in order to get more Vietnamese people to South Korea, they have applied e-visa policies to Vietnamese people buying tours from travel agencies, which is more convenient for tourists.

People queue up for a game at Vietnam Airlines' booth. — VNS Photo Lê Hương

“In some airports like Yangyang, Muan and Jeju, people in package tours can visit such places without visa. This is a favourable policy to lure more Vietnamese people to South Korea,” he said.

At this year’s VITM, the authority is promoting 100 destinations in South Korea voted by the Korea Tourism Organisation, which will offer more choices for visitors in South Korea.

“We will organise more FAM tours [Familiarition trip] to South Korea and produce more entertaining reality programmes shot in South Korea to broadcast in Việt Nam. This May we will have a programme titled Korea Travel Festa 2024 at Ocean Park City 2, through which, we hope to impress Vietnamese people,” he added.

The fair is also a great opportunity for local firms and visitors to learn more about destinations.

Nga Vũ, from Toàn Thắng Tourism & Commerce Company, said she looked forward to learning more about new hotels and restaurants both domestically and internationally.

“At the same time, I want to connect with other companies to develop Vietnamese tourism,” she said.

“The atmosphere at this fair today is very crowded, with many new products that I don't know about yet, because I haven't had the opportunity to go to all the provinces,” she said. “I have connected to get more information.”

Visitor Nguyễn Thị Mộng Thu said she came to the fair looking for cheap tours to explore.

“In 2018, we went on a tour of Taiwan and Myanmar bought from this fair,” she said. “The fair is very good; it stimulates people to participate in tourism and explore the world.”

The travel fair runs until April 14 at the Friendship Palace, in Hà Nội’s Trần Hưng Đạo Street. — VNS

People exchange information at the event. — VNS Photo Lê Hương