Vietnam attends the 37th Hong Kong International Travel Expo

View of the Hong Kong International Tourism Fair (China). (Photo: Mac Luyen/VNA)

The 37th Hong Kong International Travel Expo (ITE-2023) will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 15-18, 2023.

Vietnam Airlines is the representative of Vietnam attending the annual tourism fair.

Photojournalism products in English and Chinese of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) are also displayed at this fair.

ITE-2023 attracted more than 400 businesses from more than 50 countries and territories around the world , reaching about 80% compared to 2019 before the pandemic.

This is the largest tourism event in Hong Kong to connect and introduce tourism products from around the world. The theme of this year's fair is "Towards a full recovery" after the pandemic.

Speaking to a VNA reporter in Hong Kong, Mr. Pham Binh Dam - Consul General of Vietnam in Hong Kong said that trade exchanges between Hong Kong and Vietnam have been taking place for a long time and are growing, and this is the basis for promoting exchanges between the two sides.

In Hong Kong, there are street names such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Saigon, which shows the long-standing relationship between Hong Kong and Vietnam.

In fact, Hong Kong people also understand Vietnam very well, often coming to Vietnam for tourism, visiting relatives, and doing business.

Before the epidemic, the frequency of flights between Hong Kong and Vietnam was high, travel was very convenient, many Hong Kong people came to Vietnam on Friday to sightsee, enjoy delicious food and discuss business, then return to Hong Kong on Sunday evening.

After a period of interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong people have begun to return to Vietnam following the above itinerary. Although it is not as good as before, with such a foundation, travel, exchange and tourism activities between Vietnam and Hong Kong will soon recover and even grow more than before the pandemic.

Mr. Pham Binh Dam said that there will still be obstacles, but the Consulate General has repeatedly mentioned to Hong Kong authorities, looking for ways to remove difficulties in approving Vietnamese tourists to travel to Hong Kong.

With e-Visa, traveling from Hong Kong to Vietnam has become much easier. The Consulate General will also coordinate with organizations and businesses to promote and boost Hong Kong tourism to Vietnam.

According to Mr. Pham Binh Dam, Hong Kong is an international center, so there will be two types of visitors that Vietnam can exploit, which are Hong Kong visitors, mainland visitors, and international visitors from Hong Kong to Vietnam for short and long holidays.

The tourism potential between Vietnam and Hong Kong, in which the Hong Kong market itself as well as tourists passing through the Hong Kong market to Vietnam is still very large, is expected to be restored soon and will be an important tourism market for Vietnam.

Visitors read the Vietnam News Agency's Photo Newspaper at the Hong Kong International Tourism Fair (China). (Photo: Mac Luyen/VNA)

Mr. Ngo Tri Hung - Chief Representative of Vietnam Airlines in Hong Kong said that participating in this international tourism fair will help bring the image of Vietnam and Vietnam Airlines closer to the people of Hong Kong and the people of the Greater Bay Area after 3 years of interruption due to the pandemic.

Participating in this fair will also contribute to promoting Vietnamese tourism in the coming time.

According to the company's assessment, in the second half of 2023, Hong Kong people are expected to visit Vietnam even more.

Based on the above situation, from July 2023, Vietnam Airlines will increase 2 flights/day, double the current number, from Hong Kong to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In the coming time, the number of visitors will not only come from Hong Kong but also from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. This area has a population of about 60 million people, the income ranking 11th in the world.

Vietnam is a very attractive destination for Hong Kong people due to its many scenic spots, friendly people, rich culture and the desire to experience it, but it is still ranked behind destinations such as Japan and Thailand.

Visa requirements are one of the limitations on the number of visitors to Vietnam.

According to Mr. Ngo Tri Hung, Hong Kong has a high per capita income in the world.

Hong Kong people have a high tendency to travel abroad every year, with an estimated average of 4 trips per person per year by air.

Hong Kong airlines are gradually increasing flight frequency to Vietnam as a prerequisite to exploit this potential.

Mr. Chan Choi Hi - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hong Kong International Travel Company said that Hong Kong people are quite fond of Vietnam.

He hopes that Vietnamese airlines and tourism companies will introduce and advertise more about Vietnam's beautiful landscapes so that more and more Hong Kong people will come to Vietnam for tourism.

At the same time, he also hopes that visa procedures will be accelerated, so that companies in Hong Kong will be able to bring more tourists from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area to Vietnam for tourism.

Some Hong Kong travel companies also promote and offer preferential products to attract Hong Kong tourists to visit and travel to Vietnam and in the opposite direction, they also hope to attract more Vietnamese tourists to explore and shop in Hong Kong.

Mr. Hung - Director of Sun Air Travel Company specializing in exploiting the Vietnamese market, said that the number of Hong Kong tourists coming to Vietnam is not large due to visa issues.

Nowadays many tourists prefer to go to Japan or Thailand, partly because they promote tourism better.

Vietnam's landscape is very beautiful, but we should exploit more destinations so that tourists can have a new feeling when they return to Vietnam.

Mr. David Leung - Commissioner of Hong Kong Tourism Association said that Vietnam Airlines' service and food quality are very good.

For him, the best destination in Vietnam so far is Hanoi. The scenery here is very beautiful, visitors can experience everything, from history to culture. He is most impressed with pho and rates Hanoi pho as the best.

Customers visit Vietnam Airlines' booth at the Hong Kong International Travel Fair (China). (Photo: Mac Luyen/VNA)

The fair is expected to attract about 60,000 visitors. Seminars introducing destinations, tourism products and discussions on tourism trends will take place within the framework of the fair, thereby promoting the full recovery of Hong Kong's tourism industry.

According to the Organizing Committee, ITE Hong Kong is a traditional international tourism fair, held annually in Hong Kong and always receives the attention of international airlines and travel companies.

This year's fair is organized in many thematic groups: research tourism, health care tourism, environmental protection tourism...

Exhibitors brought the latest tourism products to promote local advantages.

Through this exhibition, the special administrative region government also hopes to quickly promote the full recovery of Hong Kong's tourism industry./.

According to MAC LUYEN - THACH BINH (Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

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