Meetings and events sector expected to soar until the end of the year

July 09, 2024 | 17:14

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Vietnamese and foreign businesses have contributed to the vibrant growth in the meetings and events industry this year as the country's economic rebound continues.

Nguyen Van Dat, managing director of Hanoi-based firm BestPrice Travel, has revealed that the number of visitors booking conferences with his firm surged 15 per cent on-year in the first five months of this year, of whom 70 per cent booked evens at domestic destinations, and the remainder for overseas.

Meetings and events sector expected to soar until the end of the year

"The domestic bookings that are garnering the most attention are those that combine travel with activities like meetings, team building, and training. The most favoured destinations are renowned holiday spots such as Phan Thiet, Nha Trang, Dalat, Ho Tram, or localities in the southwest region," said Dat.

As for overseas bookings, Pham Anh Vu, marketing director of Ho Chi Minh City-based Viet Media Travel noted that demand has spiked for tours to markets like Thailand and Taiwan, customer conference tours to Japan, and staff training tours to high-tech agriculture locations such as Australia or New Zealand.

"Furthermore, the demand for tours is also changing. Businesses are paying more attention to the sustainability and eco-friendly aspects of tours, as well as showing preference for those that bring unique and personalised experiences," said Vu.

Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang, deputy CEO of Hanoi-based firm Vietravel revealed that for this summe alone, the number of meetings industry customers is expected to surge 30-40 per cent on-year.

"Lately, our company, together with some local major players, including Vietnam Airlines, Vingroup and Sungroup, and along with certain Indian travel firms, held a campaign in New Delhi to promote Vietnamese destinations there. The aim was to promote Vietnamese and Indian tourism in both countries by organising events, festivals, and travel shows," said Hoang.

At Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietluxtour Travel, the number of meetings and events tourists had risen by about 30 per cent on-year by the end of the second quarter.

"We have already received contracts for the third and fourth quarters this year. The tours centre around team building, customer service, and seminars, and have been requested by private firms, joint venture, and foreign invested businesses from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang and Can Tho," said Tran Thi Bao Thu, Vietluxtour Travel's marketing director.

Travel and service firms have also made efforts to innovate by diversifying team building activities with new gaming tools to enhance their appeal.

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