Delegates at the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2019.  (Photo: vnexpress.net)

The organizers said at a recent press conference that the foreign exhibitors will come from Thailand, Peru, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Colombia, with those from Colombia attending for the first time.

They noted that, amid the COVID-19 outbreak, digital applications proved helpful in developing sustainable tourism. Therefore, to adapt to the post-pandemic era, VITM 2020 will focus on digital transformation-driven tourism.

This year’s mart is expected to feature about 250 booths run by travel businesses, as well as tourism management and promotion agencies of 47 provinces and centrally-run cities.

The organizers, having had to postpone the event twice due to COVID-19, aim to create an opportunity for localities, organizations, and enterprises to advertise their brands, introduce products, and develop business partnerships in order to boost domestic, inbound, and outbound tourism.

Vietnam’s tourism broke a growth record in December 2019, however, the sector fell into a crisis after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The sector is estimated to have lost tens of billions of dollars, which is the biggest crisis ever in the history of the sector.

Therefore, Vietnam International Travel Mart 2020 is hoped to boost national tourism, encouraging tourists nationwide to resume their travelling habits.

With software development companies among the exhibitors, the expo is set to help promote digitalization and technological application to make fundamental changes to the management and activities of travel authorities and firms.

A domestic travel stimulus program will be launched, while preparations for the resumption of inbound and outbound tourism and Vietnam’s post-COVID-19 tourism prospects will also be discussed.

The event is typically held annually in April by the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism./.

BTA