Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2024 is scheduled to take place from April 11th to 14th at the ICE International Exhibition Center (Hanoi Friendship Cultural Palace), located at 91 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
The fair, with the theme “Vietnam Tourism – Green Transition for Sustainable Development,” aims to attract over 450 booths and approximately 80,000 visitors, including 3,500 Vietnamese and international enterprises.
The Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA), Mr. Vu The Binh, spoke with The Hanoi Times about the novel aspects of the market.
| Mr. Vu The Binh speaks at the VITM press conference on March 20th. Photo: VITA |
What is new for VITM this year, which is the biggest tourism event of the year?
VITM Hanoi 2024 will take place against the backdrop of the government and the industry’s determination to fully restore tourism.
In accordance with this determination, the Vietnam Tourism Association has organized various activities, including VITM Hanoi 2024, to focus on increasing visitor numbers and ensuring tourism growth.
The world’s economies are currently prioritizing green transformation. Three years ago, the theme of VITM Hanoi was “Green Tourism.” This year, we have chosen the theme “Vietnam Tourism – Green Transition for Sustainable Development.” The transformation includes developing green products, green services, green tourism routes, and other activities to make Vietnam’s tourism offerings more attractive and innovative.
Additionally, there is an increasing number of booths at the fair this year, resembling the atmosphere of VITM before the Covid-19 outbreak. Currently, all 51 provinces and cities in Vietnam have registered booths, along with 16 countries/territories. This indicates a bustling environment, highlighting Vietnam’s efforts to regain its position as a robust tourism industry in the region.
VITA has set a target of 20 million international tourist arrivals. What makes VITA confident about achieving this objective?
Our confidence stems from the growing enthusiasm among companies since 2022, followed by 2023. By 2024, with the determination of businesses and favorable conditions, we believe that this goal can be achieved.
Our visa policy is highly innovative. We have extended the visa-free stay to 45 days and introduced electronic visas for 90 days. With such a strong and open policy, we believe there are ample opportunities for the tourism industry.
Currently, domestic tourism is lower than previous years, but both inbound and outbound tourism are experiencing rapid growth. The recent decline in domestic tourist numbers over the past two months indicates the need for greater efforts. Tourism professionals must understand the challenges and find ways to overcome them in order to achieve our set objectives.
| During VITM 2024, airlines will provide 10,000 discounted tickets. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times |
Will green tourism be a key focus at VITM this year?
VITM primarily focuses on commercial activities such as business-to-business exchanges, buying and selling, and introducing tourism products while discussing development directions. On April 12th, we will hold a forum entitled “Vietnam Tourism – Green Transition for Sustainable Development” to explore solutions for green transformation in Vietnamese tourism. Enterprises from across the country and experts from related agencies will discuss the concept of green transformation in tourism and the necessary involvement of various agencies.
We already have hotels that refuse to use plastic and restaurants that champion waste reduction, not just in terms of plastic. This indicates the presence of exemplary instances of green tourism development. The fair will feature numerous meetings and seminars to address these issues.
We hope that the concept of green transformation will gain widespread acceptance among tourism companies. Combined with digital transformation, it can become the driving force for the tourism industry, propelling Vietnam’s green economy forward in the near future.
What are your expectations for the number of participants at this year’s VITM Hanoi?
Currently, over 600 companies have registered to secure booths at the fair. We are confident that around 3,000 tourism companies nationwide will attend. We anticipate an attendance of up to 80,000 visitors. Though this number may not match the figures from 2019, which was before the pandemic, it is still significant given the current circumstances. We are confident that the fair will be a major success, especially considering the high levels of excitement displayed by participating companies during the preparations.
Will visitors have the opportunity to purchase affordable tours?
Visitors to the event can expect interesting experiences, including promotional tours, discounted air travel, inexpensive hotel accommodations, and One Commune – One Product (OCOP) offerings from localities across Vietnam. However, we are not promoting low-quality tourism. Our focus is on delivering high-quality tourist experiences.
Thank you for your time.
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