Local travel firms looking for new markets

Local travel firms looking for new markets

Local travel firms looking for new markets

Dao Loan

A staff of Ben Thanh Tourist (R) meetsa foreign partner at ITE HCMC 2016 on September 8. Local travel firms have prepared diverse products for showcasing at the ongoingtourism expo – PHOTO: DAO LOAN

HCMC – Domestic travel companies have prepared a wide range of products and services for showcasing at the ongoing International Tourism Expo in HCMC (ITE HCMC 2016) to woo foreign buyers, especially those from new markets.

Huynh Cong Han, who is in charge of the UK, Russian and Japanese markets at Saigontourist Travel Service Co, said he has met more than 20 partners from Italy, Austria, Ukraine, Spain and the Middle East, and many of them are the company’s potential buyers.

“It’s good that many of them are buyers from new markets. They have not brought guests to Vietnam so they are interested in seeking new domestic partners,” Han told the Daily at the tourism expo, which has been opened to sellers and buyers since on September 8.

Ngo Thanh Nga, inboundmanager at Ben Thanh Tourist, said she had met with many buyers from the markets the company wants to penetrate. In addition, representatives of travel companies from the markets including the Czech Republic have come to scrutinize the company’s products on offer.

“We have worked with 50 customers and some of them including those from the United States have agreed to take part in our tour arranged for buyers from India,” Nga said.

Other local sellers have had working sessions with buyers from new markets. Many Indian buyers are keen on tours of four or five days for their guests to explore Vietnam.

Gilbert J.B. Whelan, chairman of ATM Travel Marketing in the U.S., said he is looking for partners who can cooperate in organizing trips for Vietnamese to visit America and Americans to tour Vietnam.

Local travel firms said meetings at ITE HCMC 2016 are just the first step for them to approach potentialbuyers. To find partners, local travel firms need to carefully prepare meeting arrangements and productssuitable for different markets.

“Sellers must be active if they want to find partners at fairs,” Han of Saigontourist said.

Nga of Ben Thanh Tourist said the company would introduce tours with lower prices to buyers in the current tough economic conditions.

ITE HCMC 2016at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in District 7 will last until this Saturday. There will be programs for visitors and seminars on tourism as part of the major event.

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