The International Travel Expo HCM City 2014 edition (ITE HCMC) will kick off next month at the Sai Gon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) in District 7.

The event, co-organised by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will run from September 11 to 13. The event organisers proudly reported the participation of businesses from not only Vietnam’s 26 provinces, but also from 18 other countries and territories, with the number of exhibition pavilions totalling over 250.

The ITE HCMC 2014 edition, “Five countries, one destination”, was initiated by the Mekong Tourism Alliance, which includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, and aims to tap into the region’s tourism potential and strengthen cooperation between the Mekong countries regarding tourism development.

As part of ITE HCMC 2014, a lantern boat festival themed “HCM City - brimming with life” will take place along the Saigon River for the first time.

Furthermore, the exhibition’s organising board will grant Mekong Tourism Alliance Awards to businesses excelling in tourism in each of the five countries.

This year marks the 10 th anniversary of ITE HCMC. As an annual event, it serves as a platform for presenting tourism opportunities in the Mekong region and beyond, showcasing tourism products from the Asia Pacific region, which is attracting a growing number of tourism businesses.-VNA