Tourism ministers from Vietnam,
Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar
will attend a meeting in Ho Chi Minh
City this September during the International Travel
Expo to discuss tourism co-operation under the “Four Countries-One Destination”
flag.
ITE-HCMC will take place, 13 to 15 September, at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre
Saigon Times reported the ministers will discuss strategy to build tourism 2013 to 2015. It is understood that Thailand has been invited to join the meeting to explore tourism potential and there are sentiments that it could ultimately lead to a “Five Countries-One Destination” tie up.
ITE will also be the platform for a meeting of mayors from cities in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, including Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Vientiane (Laos), Yangon (Myanmar), Kunming (China), Bangkok (Thailand), HCMC and Jeju and Busan in South Korea.
In a related development, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism agreed that Hanoi should host the ITE next year and recommended the capital and HCMC take turns hosting the event.
However, the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, that has organised the ITE from the start, has shown strong opposition to the decision.
La Quoc Khanh, deputy head of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said it did not object to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism taking over ownership of the event, but objected to the event being moved between the two cities.
“Hanoi is unlikely to make the tourism expo successful with its existing infrastructure and experience. We have spent eight years building the event. But if VNAT does the job, we will say ‘yes’,” said Mr Khanh.
The annual event is in its 8th year and was the brainchild of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Two years ago, ITE HCMC was recognised as a national travel fair and it was given support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and VNAT.
ITE-HCMC will take place, 13 to 15 September, at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre
Saigon Times reported the ministers will discuss strategy to build tourism 2013 to 2015. It is understood that Thailand has been invited to join the meeting to explore tourism potential and there are sentiments that it could ultimately lead to a “Five Countries-One Destination” tie up.
ITE will also be the platform for a meeting of mayors from cities in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, including Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Vientiane (Laos), Yangon (Myanmar), Kunming (China), Bangkok (Thailand), HCMC and Jeju and Busan in South Korea.
In a related development, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism agreed that Hanoi should host the ITE next year and recommended the capital and HCMC take turns hosting the event.
However, the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, that has organised the ITE from the start, has shown strong opposition to the decision.
La Quoc Khanh, deputy head of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said it did not object to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism taking over ownership of the event, but objected to the event being moved between the two cities.
“Hanoi is unlikely to make the tourism expo successful with its existing infrastructure and experience. We have spent eight years building the event. But if VNAT does the job, we will say ‘yes’,” said Mr Khanh.
The annual event is in its 8th year and was the brainchild of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Two years ago, ITE HCMC was recognised as a national travel fair and it was given support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and VNAT.
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| Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre |
No final decision has been made on ITE and until one is made HCMC intends to
host the event in 2013 as scheduled, according to Mr Khanh.
“It is hard to maintain relations with international partners and map out a series of activities to run a smooth expo especially if the management changes with a change in city venue. At present, we still intend to manage the event next year,” he reckoned.
“It is hard to maintain relations with international partners and map out a series of activities to run a smooth expo especially if the management changes with a change in city venue. At present, we still intend to manage the event next year,” he reckoned.
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