International tourism expo opens in HCM City

500 businesses from more than 30 countries and territories are participating in the 2012 International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC), which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 12.
500 businesses from more than 30 countries and territoriesare participating in the 2012 International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC),which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 12.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh CityPeople’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hong said the event, the largestprofessional one, is an opportunity for travel and tourism businesses from the participating countriesto seek partners and establish long-term cooperation, contributing tosustainable tourism development in the region and the world.

Themed “Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia-Myanmar, Four Countries, One Destination”, the event comprises a series of new activities for the four countries such as the first Meeting of their Tourism Ministers,a meeting for senior tourism officials and a conference on tourismmarket in four Lower Mekong cities of Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh,Vientiane and Yangon.

A highlight ofthe expo is the International Hosted Buyer Programme, which aims toce ment the implementation of global and regional integration inadvancing both inbound and outbound market interests of the showplayers, attracting 180 key global buyers from 33 major markets that include ASEAN countries,Australia, Canada, China, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Japan, the Republicof Korea, North America, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

Organised for the first time in 2005, ITE HCMC is designed to promotenot only the tourism market within the region but also major touristdestinations around the world.-VNA

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Visitors at the newly launched Pho Museum in Ben Thanh ward, Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: sggp.org.vn)

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