Dang Huong Giang, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Department of Tourism, said during a roadshow to introduce South Korea’s exhibition industry and connect MICE tourism firms in Hanoi recently.
Giang said that MICE tourism is a potential market and brings great opportunities for the tourism development.
With favorable economic, cultural, social and transportation conditions, Hanoi has many advantages of MICE tourism development, Giang noted. In fact, Vietnam is an ideal destination for MICE tourism and the country is maximizing its venue capacity to become the fastest-growing luxury MICE destination in Asia.
Corporate companies and MICE planners invariably gravitate towards the Vietnamese cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Central Vietnam when choosing a destination for their offsite meetings and incentive trips. As major gateways into the country, these locations are the logical choices, having the infrastructure and services to handle the unique needs of event organizers and meetings planners.
Furthermore, Danang and Nha Trang, two major cities of the central region, still have plenty of hidden attractions left for visitors to discover.
With Vietnam being recognized as an excellent destination for MICE, the tourism industry, especially luxury hotels and airlines, is promoting the country’s central coast for MICE events. Combined with its unique and fascinating culture and the natural beauty of the region, central Vietnam is an ideal location for event planners who can be assured of a well-planned and successful outcome.
Vietnam is suitable for MICE of all sizes in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and now central Vietnam (Hue, Danang, Hoi An, Nha Trang). The country offers a wide selection of international standard hotels with state-of-the-art conference facilities and meeting rooms as well as a variety of natural and cultural attractions to suit all tastes, golf courses, relaxation activities, health and spa facilities and fine cuisine.
Danang and Nha Trang were the destinations for APEC 2017, now recognized as an important hub for “Luxury MICE”. Billionaires from across the globe, including the Middle East and Asia, flew to Danang in their private planes for a financial and tourism conference held at the InterContinental Danang.
Along with the country’s global integration and economic development, Vietnam has made progress in attracting MICE business. The country’s infrastructure is improving and airports are expanding, with new flights operating regionally and internationally, and more brand name hotels and resorts have opened.
Especially, the country can be even prouder of its flourishing tourism city, with it being chosen as the location for the 2017 APEC Summit. More than 100 conferences attended by world leaders, 1,000 global businesses and 6,000 international reporters gathered in the central coast of Danang during the 2017 APEC event.
Giving a boost to Vietnam’s hospitality market, Hanoi, Halong, Danang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City added many more 4 and 5 star international hotels in 2017, most of them targeting the promising MICE market thanks to the hosts of the 2017 APEC Summit. This is good news for tourism recovery in Vietnam as local and foreign travel agencies have received significantly more MICE requests, especially from APEC member economies with groups ranging from 50 to 300 people.
In addition, Vietnamese hotels have been honored to receive numerous prestigious international awards. Eight Vietnamese hotels made the Conde Nast Traveler Awards list, including Reverie Saigon claiming fourth Best Hotel in the World and taking the number 1 spot in Asia. While no other hotel from Vietnam was placed among the world’s top 50, La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa took eighth place on the Top Hotels in Asia list and the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi was named number 21. Each has been a fixture on the list over the past several years.
Caption: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi was placed on the Top Hotels in Asia list.