Tel Aviv (VNA) – Authentic Asia DMC, in coordination with the Little Hoi An Group, Vietstar Cruises Investment JSC and Destination Chase, hosted a workshop introducing Vietnam’s tourism offerings in Tel Aviv on February 1, as part of the 32nd International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM 2026).
The event drew representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel, Vietnam’s Trade Counsellor Le Thai Hoa, and Arkia Airlines, and around 80 Israeli guests, including outbound tour operators, travel agencies, key opinion leaders and influential travel bloggers.
The workshop provided an updated overview of Vietnam’s tourism potential and introduced a full-service travel ecosystem, including the capacity to develop series tours, incentive travel programmes and tailor-made packages. Participants also discussed orientations for cooperation in designing products suited to Israeli travellers’ needs in the 2026–2027 period.
Praising the proactive engagement of Vietnamese businesses at IMTM 2026, Hoa highlighted the launch of the direct Tel Aviv–Hanoi route as a significant milestone, demonstrating the effectiveness of direct aviation connectivity between the two countries.
He noted that the new service not only improves market access, shortens geographical distance and enhances destination reach, but also helps businesses in both countries better exploit cooperation opportunities and leverage respective strengths in promising fields such as trade, investment, tourism, labour and services.
The route, he said, serves as a “new bridge” linking two rich cultures and dynamic economies driven by innovation, while opening a new chapter in bilateral tourism cooperation.
The trade counsellor also commended Vietnamese travel companies for pioneering efforts in tapping the Israeli market following the implementation of the Vietnam–Israel Free Trade Agreement (VIFTA). Their presence at IMTM 2026, with professional service ecosystems and deep cultural understanding, he said, will not only help boost tourist flows but also provide an important channel for Israelis to gain a clearer picture of a modern, dynamic and culturally distinctive Vietnam.
IMTM is the largest professional tourism fair in Israel and the Mediterranean region, held annually for more than 30 years. Taking place from February 3 to 4 at the Expo Tel Aviv Exhibition Centre, the fair features nearly 200 booths and thousands of delegates from over 50 countries.
The participation of Vietnamese tourism enterprises marks an important step forward in promoting Vietnam’s image in the Middle East–Mediterranean market.
Statistics show that Israelis made around nine million overseas trips in 2023. Even in the challenging year of 2024, the figure still exceeded seven million, underlining the strong potential of the Israeli outbound market for long-haul destinations such as Vietnam.
Vietnamese businesses’ presence at IMTM 2026 comes as Arkia Airlines has officially launched the direct Tel Aviv–Hanoi service, cutting travel time to nearly 12 hours. The route is widely seen as a major boost, opening up new growth space for tourism in both countries while strengthening bilateral economic and cultural exchanges./.
