The third Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM 2015), themed “Vietnam-the country of heritage”, will take place in Hanoi from April 3-6, announced the Vietnam Association of Tourism.

Co-organised by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and the municipal People’s Committee, the event will introduce Vietnam ’s UNESCO-recognised natural and cultural heritage as well as famous and attractive destinations in the country to foreign and international friends.

The mart will provide a venue for travel agencies from around the world to display their products and services, said the organisation board.

It will also serve as a forum for scientists, researchers and managers operating in the field as well as representatives from travel agencies to discuss ways to promote the development of the tourism sector, which is expected to become a key economic component of Vietnam .

Issues related to inbound and outbound tourism will also be a focus of the event.

Held annually in April in Hanoi since 2013, this is the largest-ever international travel fair in Vietnam , contributing to promoting the national tourism through forging links among localities.

This year’s mart is scheduled to host around 700 domestic and foreign businesses from 25 countries and territories worldwide, and is predicted to earn an revenue of 200 billion VND (9.4 million USD).-VNA