August 2018

Over 300 international companies and brands have confirmed to participate in the travel trade show, and it will also have the support of 300 hosted buyers from over 40 countries and 26 hosted media from 16 countries. The organisers are also expecting local exhibitor participation from 37 provinces and cities in Vietnam.

The travel trade show will make a spectacular return with a strong entourage of participants from Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

ITE HCMC is the largest and most established annual international travel trade event in the Mekong sub-region, featuring services and products for both inbound and outbound markets. The event, gives industry players and leading brands the opportunity, to showcase their latest tourism products and services – source for quality agents and distributors and expand their business into Vietnam and the Mekong sub-region.

Attendees will also find ample opportunities to build contacts, foster new relationships, and discover new business leads. It will be held on September 6 to 8 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center, and the first two days are for industry visitors and invited guests. The last day is open to the public as the Travel Fun Fair Day, with various attractive travel packages, performances, and games to excite visitors

MICE in Asia is the media partner of ITE HCMC.

It opened last year with 347 guestrooms and suites, the hotel is the latest five-star property in Yogyakarta.  This historical city has over the years, seen an increase in the arrivals of both domestic and international travellers.  According to Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (Badan Pusat Statistik), Yogyakarta experienced in 2017, a consistent strong double-digit growth figures of foreign arrivals at the Adisutjipto International Airport.

The presence of the Marriott Hotel in Yogyakarta is timely, as the city continues to be a popular destination, mainly due to its Javanese culture, friendly people, heritage districts such as Kotagede and the two ancient historical temples which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Borobudur and Prambanan. This as well as, home of the palace complex of the Javanese royal dynasty, the Keraton which is also the official seat of the reigning Sultan of Yogyakarta and his family.

Apart from catering to leisure travellers, the hotel has extensive facilities for meetings and conferences with eleven meeting rooms of a total space of 46,919 square feet including the largest pillar less ballroom in town of 20,096 square feet. The Keraton Ballroom can be transformed into three separate function spaces with each able to host up to 600 guests.  A wide foyer outside is an added space for exhibitions, trade fairs and large scale events.

Just opposite the hotel, is the Hartono Mall which is newly opened where guests can do a bit of shopping.  Available in the complex are branded fashion shops, restaurants, entertainment outlets and a hypermarket.

In terms of location, the Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel is only 20 minutes away from Adisutjipto International Airport.  Yogyakarta has also direct flights from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore with Jakarta only a 50-minute flight away.  The city is expected to have a new international airport by 2020.

Three media representatives, two from MICE in Asia and another from a publication in Hong Kong, were invited by Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel, to experience the hotel’s hospitality and view the property’s meetings and conference facilities with visits to local attractions: sunset at the ancient Borobudur Temple and exploring the temples in the Prambanan compound; travel by jeep to Gunung Merapi site; discovering the culture and history of the royal family of Yogyakarta at Ulu Sentalu Museum;  street shopping at Malioboro; and tour of the Keraton royal palace complex.  Not to be missed is to attend the evening performance of the Ramayana ballet at the Purawisita Amphitheatre.

The media team with Firman Indra Rusindriansyah (extreme left), Marketing Communications Manager of Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel.

In the first half of 2018, the total trade value is estimated to be over USD 13 billion with total export value to Malaysia at USD 2 billion; and total import value from Malaysia, is over USD 11 billion.  This was shown in a presentation by Hoh Jee Eng of Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s director in Malaysia during a luncheon for the press organised by HKTDC.

Every year HKDC organises more than 30 exhibitions and trade fairs of international level.  It ranges from jewellery, premium gifts, electronics, watch and clock, lighting and wine and spirits. Between 2017 and 2018, it was recorded that there were 39,000 exhibitors and over 750,000 buyers to these exhibitions and trade fairs organised by HKTDC. Out of these, 1,000 exhibitors are from ASEAN member countries with over 36,000 buyers. The figures indicate there is a keenness among buyers to explore business opportunities through HKTDC exhibitions platform.

According to HKTDC Malaysia director Hoh Jee Eng, it is popular among business people in Malaysia, to visit trade fairs in Hong Kong to source for products such as optical wares, electronic parts, watch and clocks among others.  She has over the years, arranged a number of visits of buyers from Malaysia to exhibitions and trade fairs by HKTDC. Hong Kong remains a favourite destination among Malaysians to visit for business.

Members of the press at the luncheon organised by HKTDC with Hoh Jee Eng, Director, Malaysia HKTDC (4th from left), Dato’ Joseph Lim, Vice President of Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (5th from left ) and Julia Douglas, Managing Editor of MICE in Asia.