Deputy director of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism La Quoc Khanh, co-organizer of the event, said that the number of attendees signing up for the event was up by about one-third compared to last year.

 

Highlights of the event, themed “Three Countries-One Destination,” include a tourism exhibition, meetings between buyers and sellers, familiarization trips and a tourism conference.

 

 

Khan’s department has put aside VND2 billion (US$112,208) to arrange trips for international guests to the exhibition, according to the deputy director.

 

 

About 95 percent of the booths at the event’s venue, the Phu Tho Exhibition Center in District 11, have been booked, The Saigon Times Daily reported.

 

 

ITE HCMC is an annual event to promote the tourism products of three Indochina countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. It is held by the city’s tourism department, Vietnam Trade Fair & Advertising Joint Stock Company and international event organizer IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd.

 

 

The three-day event is expected to attract 10,000 visitors.

 

 

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines also announced a plan to offer air ticket discounts of 60 to 70 percent from October 1 to 20 to mark the fifth edition of ITE HCMC.

 

 

The discount rates will be applied on domestic and international flights from October 1 to January 31.

 

 

More information about ITE HCMC 2009 is available at http://www.itehcmc.com/.