Vietnam’s tourism industry draws a crowd at London WTM

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, vice general director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said attendees at a press conference to introduce tourism in Vietnam were impressed by the annual tourism growth rate of between 20 and 30%, as well as new tourism policies and products on display at the show.

Many participants were keen to find out how Vietnam’s tourism industry had developed into one of the leading destinations in Asia.

Ms Huong attributed the success of the tourism sector to having a diversified range of high quality tourism products. In addition, a visa exemption policy for visitors from 24 countries, new e-visas, the construction of new highways and the expansion of airports and seaports have all been factors in attracting tourists to the country.

As well as a wide range of policies to attract visitors, the national-flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has significantly contributed to the tourism sector’s achievements. A Vietnam Airlines representative said the airline has been certified as a 4-star airline by the UK airline and airport rating organization, Skytrax, for three consecutive years. The airline conducts seven flights per week between London and Vietnam and enjoyed steady growth with a 5% rise in passengers during the first nine months of the year.

According to participants at the fair, Vietnamese stalls in particular were popular and drew a large number of visitors.

London WTM 2018, the world’s largest travel mart, attracted around 5,000 organizations and businesses and about 51,000 visitors.