Travel fair marks comeback of Vietnamese tourism

This year, as borders have reopened to international tourism, the theme of the fair is: "New Normal – New Chance for Vietnam’s Tourism''. The four-day event attracted the participation of 500 businesses from 52 provinces and cities nationwide and Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan (China), and Turkey. Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet said that the fair takes place in a special context. That context includes the two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the country's move to full reopening of tourism activities from March 15. The VITM is described as significant to re-start tourism trading, connectivity and development nationwide. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The event is a continuation of a series of events hosted by the Vietnam Tourism Association, like the National Travel Forum on January 21; the National Domestic Travel Tourism Forum on April 15, 2021; and the Sustainable Recovery for Vietnam’s Tourism Forum on November 30, 2021. The VITM 2022 is a special event, during which the resumption of inbound and outbound international tourism activities will be announced with specific solutions and a roadmap. The organising board encourages participating firms and agencies to give ideas to promote efficient tourism management and business activities in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, thus speeding the sector’s recovery. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Leaders of the tourism sector press the button to kick off the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2022. The VITM 2022 is expected to feature about 320 booths with the participation of travel firms and management officials from 52 cities and provinces across the country and six foreign countries and territories, namely Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan (China) and Turkey. It is estimated to welcome 40,000 visitors and about 2,500 visiting firms. Travel and aviation firms plan to give special offer on over 10,000 tours and 100,000 air tickets, while giving 1,000 gifts to visitors. They will encourage traveling through the diversification of their tourism products to meet the changing demands of tourists after COVID-19. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet visits booths at the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2022. The event is expected to receive some 40,000 guests and 2,500 tourism enterprises, working with partners and customers. It is jointly organised by the Viet Nam National Tourism Administration and the Tourism Development Support Fund. The event is billed as a booster to the local tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 in the past two years. Earlier, the Government agreed with a proposal of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other public agencies on safely reopening tourism activities by air, road and sea in a new normal condition starting March 15. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

According to Vu The Binh, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, the event will encourage enterprises and organisations to introduce initiatives for tourism management business, to ensure the safety, protect the environment and a digital transition, so that tourism sector can recover its growth rate in the shortest time possible. Over 500 enterprises dealing with hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tourism centres, airlines and other services have registered for the event. Binh said since 2013, the event was organised annually as one of the most important events of the tourism sector. Last year, the event was cancelled due to the pandemic, after being postponed four times. The association intends to host another VITM in the central city of Da Nang in August. (VietnamPlus)

Despite the hardships after two years of the pandemic, more than 500 enterprises from 52 provinces and cities around Vietnam, as well as from six other countries and territories, have joined the event. More than 2,000 enterprises and over 40,000 people are expected to visit before the event closes on April 3. The annual event opened in downtown Hanoi on March 31, attracting thousands of holidaymakers seeking promotions. Addressing the opening ceremony, Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, deputy director and general secretary of the Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA), noted that while VITM Hanoi has been an annual event, this year, it has extra significance. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

According to Lan, the fair marks a new period for the tourism sector – a period of recovery and development in the ‘new normal’. This is a period where the sector transforms into a ‘green’ and ‘digital’ economy. During the four-day event, VITA and the Việt Nam National Administration of Tourism will host various activities. At the national forum titled 'Việt Nam Tourism Recovery – New Orientation, New Actions', experts will discuss urgent solutions for domestic enterprises to adjust to a safer direction to secure an environmental and digital transition. In the photo: Traditional culture and art are introduced at the opening ceremony. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A performance is staged by kids from the northern province of Ninh Binh. Xam” (blind wanderers’ music). This is a centuries-old singing style of the Vietnamese people, which has long been recognised as an important piece of the nation’s cultural heritage. Like “ca tru” (ceremonial singing), the singer can play musical instruments at the same time. While “ca tru” singers beat castanets while singing, “xam” singers often play Dan bau (monochord) or dan nhi (two-string fiddle). The singing is mainly found in the countryside and is mostly performed by poor artists who sing for a living, expressing optimism, humour and philosophy about life. The performances stem mostly from northern regions. In the past, most of xam performers were blind. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Traditional outfits are on display at the exhibition, helping nudge Vietnam’s kaleidoscope of culture closer to both domestic and international visitors. During the four-day exhibition, the Vietnam Tourism Association and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism host various activities, especially the national forum titled “Vietnam Tourism Recovery – New Orientation, New Actions”. A series of workshops and press conferences also take place on tourism human resources, new products, new destinations and promotion activities. The Vietnam International Travel Mart attracts the participation of 500 businesses from 52 provinces and cities nationwide and Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan (China), and Turkey. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Linen weaving of the Mong ethnic in the northwestern region is reenacted at the event. Linen has been the fabric of life for the Mong people for a long, long time. The ingenuity of this ethnic minority in making this fabric from scratch, dyeing it with different colours using no chemicals, and making beautiful garments transforms each Mong woman into a colourful flower blooming amidst the rocky mountains they call home. In the past, most linen garments, which take years to finish, were tailored for members within just one family, but over the years, as more people discover the beauty of the fabric and the work done on it, a joint effort is being made to widen its reach. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Vietnam’s traditional culture is highlighted at the travel mart. The to he (toy figurine) is a kind of edible folk toy of Vietnamese children. Today, making to he is a folk culture in Vietnam, especially in the North. Originally, the to he, made from glutinous rice powder, was used for worshiping so they often took the shape of animals such as a peacock, chicken, buffalo, cow, pig, and fish. The product was called a ‘chim co’ (animal) toy. In some areas in the North, it was called ‘cake’ because it was created in the shape of a bunch of bananas, arecas, and some popular dishes to form an offering tray to the pagoda in the shape of popular animals. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The four-day travel mart attracted the participation of 500 businesses from 52 provinces and cities nationwide and Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan (China), and Turkey. In the photo: the booth is arranged by Korean delegation. Hanbok is the traditional attire of the Korean people. Nowadays, it is only worn on special occasions or anniversaries. Hanbok is creative and expressive in its design. Another special feature about hanbok is the shape, having a slim top and wide bottom, similar to a bell. The tightly fitting jacket attractively reflects the shape of the upper body. The wide and flexible skirt flatters the wearer’s gracefulness by hiding the movements of the lower body. The wearer appears to be magically floating on air. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

For modern Koreans, hanbok is the formal clothing worn during Korean holidays or on special occasions. Children wear hanbok on their first birthday and adults wear it for their wedding ceremony or major events within the family, including funerals.  Although hanbok has become the ritual dress of choice worn only on traditional holidays, Koreans' love for hanbok is tremendous. The number of people wearing stylish hanbok modified to a suit as everyday wear continues to increase. Many enjoy outings in hanbok by renting them from rental shops. The unique lines of the hanbok appear at their greatest when the wearer is in motion. Hanbok is creative and expressive in its design. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A Hanoi tourist is wearing Kimoni – traditional outfit of Japan. The Japanese kimono is one of the world's instantly recognizable traditional garments. The word kimono literally means "clothing", and up until the mid-19th century it was the form of dress worn by everyone in Japan. That began to change slowly with the import of suits dresses and other western fashions during the Meiji Era. Thanks to the popularity of ukiyo-e woodblock prints in the West at the beginning of the last century, the kimono-clad maiden became one of the quintessential images of Japan. Dressing up in the kimono and other accoutrements of the geisha or maiko is still one of the more popular activities for visiting tourists. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

In the photo: A corner for check-in photos at the Vietnam International Travel Mart this year. According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet, businesses should pay more attention to improving technical facilities for the sector. This includes investing in new products, new destinations, and new air routes to meet the new demands and trends after the pandemic, especially enhancing the quality of human resources and encouraging start-ups in the field. The official also suggested tourism enterprises review customer markets after the pandemic, especially international customers; promote PR activities in targeted markets using digital technology in this task. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Digital technology has been deployed to help visitors get a better understanding of the tourism products offered at the travel mart. The success of digital transformation in the tourism industry largely depends on businesses, where this process takes place. In Vietnam, some companies have managed to carry out digital transformation, causing other firms to follow suit. Today’s tourism activities focus more on travelers through data digitalization. This includes collecting data to analyse customers and business activities and turning the acquired information into action. Digital transformation in the local tourism industry in 2021 saw the National Administration of Tourism cooperate with Vntrip.vn, the biggest hotel booking website and app system in Vietnam, to develop a 360-degree photo app for tourism. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the tourism sector may need three to four years to regain the growth it achieved in 2019. Based on the latest available data, global international tourist arrivals more than doubled (+130%) in January 2022 compared to 2021. There were 18 million more visitors recorded worldwide in the first month of this year. This equals the total increase for the whole of 2021. While these figures confirm the positive trend already underway as of last year, the pace of recovery in January was impacted by the emergence of the Omicron variant and the re-introduction of travel restrictions in several destinations. Following the 71% decline of 2021, international arrivals in January 2022 remained 67% below pre-pandemic levels. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Despite various hardships after two years of the pandemic, more than 500 enterprises from 52 provinces and cities around Việt Nam have joined the event, as well as from six other countries and territories. More than 2,000 enterprises and over 40,000 people are expected to visit before the event closes on April 3. The annual event opened in downtown Hanoi on March 31, attracting thousands of travelers seeking promotions. Addressing the opening ceremony, Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, deputy director and general secretary of the Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA), noted that while VITM Hanoi has been an annual event, this year, it has extra significance. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Thousands of new tours were introduced at the event. According to Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh, the event will encourage enterprises and organisations to introduce initiatives for tourism management business, to ensure safety, protect the environment and a digital transition, so that tourism sector can recover its growth rate in the shortest time possible. Binh said since 2013, the event has been organised annually as one of the most important events of the tourism sector. Last year, the event was cancelled due to the pandemic, after being postponed four times. The association intends to host another VITM in the central city of Da Nang in August. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The event is a continuation of a series of events hosted by the Vietnam Tourism Association, like the National Travel Forum on January 21; the National Domestic Travel Tourism Forum on April 15, 2021; and the Sustainable Recovery for Vietnam’s Tourism Forum on November 30, 2021. The VITM 2022 is a special event, during which the resumption of inbound and outbound international tourism activities will be announced with specific solutions and roadmap. The organising board encourages participating firms and agencies to give ideas to promote the efficiency of tourism management and business activities in a safe and environmentally-friendsly manner, thus speeding the sector’s recovery. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Doan Van Viet visits booths at the Vietnam International Travel Mart 2022. The event is expected to receive some 40,000 guests and 2,000 tourism enterprises, working with partners and customers. It is jointly organised by the Viet Nam National Tourism Administration and the Tourism Development Support Fund. The event is billed as a booster to the local tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 in the past two years. Earlier, the Government agreed to a proposal of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other public agencies on safely reopening tourism activities by air, road and sea in a new normal condition starting March 15. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Lee Jae Hoon, director of the Korea Tourism Organisation in Vietnam, appreciated the annual fair as it gives tourists a chance to travel and advertise international destinations to Vietnamese people now that the pandemic is under control. He said in 2019 the number of Vietnamese people visiting the Republic of Korea increased significantly to 550,000 people, while some 4.3 million visitors from the East Asian country came to Vietnam. In 2022, it is hoped that 20-40 per cent of the number of Vietnamese people recorded in 2019 will visit the Republic of Korea. The agency offers various activities at this fair, like the chance to wear a traditional hanbok, play folk games featured in the popular Squid Game series and make traditional handmade products. (Photo: VietnamPlus)