With over 70% of exhibitors coming from international markets, the expo serves as a key platform for business networking and cultural exchange.

Malaysia welcomed 4.5 million Muslim tourists last year, generating 14.7 billion RM (over 3.5 billion USD) in revenue, Director-General of the Islamic Tourist Centre (ITC), Nirzan Nordin said on September 25.

From August 15, people with Vietnamese e-visas can enter and exit the country any number of times within 90 days, a long-awaited and major overhaul of the country’s visa system that is expected to revive tourism and hospitality, according to industry insiders.

Vietnam hospitality requires innovative products that can cater to the demands of young domestic and international travellers, such as poshtels, entertainment-integrated complexes, limited-service accommodations, and co-living and co-working spaces, experts have said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on many people, including foreign workers stuck in Vietnam. With a humanitarian and hospitable tradition and a spirit of “leaving no one behind” among Vietnamese people, many localities around the country have provided support to and shared the difficulties with foreigners.

Apart from preparations for the pilot vaccine passport programme, the hospitality industry has worked to ensure safety for tourists in line with instructions of the Ministry of Health.

Islands off southern Kien Giang province and tourist attraction sites reopened over the weekend after social distancing measures were eased.

Nearly 1,000 establishments operate in tourism in the central province of Nghe An. However, their capacity is weak. What’s more, there is a shortage of human resources for the industry.

The Destination Mekong and the Mekong Business Initiative on February 7 announced their 2018 Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) business support programmes are now open for applications.

Ho Chi Minh City has been asked to diversify tourist products and attractions to lure visitors at home and abroad.

Vietnamese enterprises have reaped successes in Laos thanks to sound business opportunities, market scale and operation quality in the neighbouring country.

The two-day 4th International Conference on Finance and Economics which opened on September 21 in Ho Chi Minh City is focusing on innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship.

Ho Chi Minh City is ranked second among 10 cities that are ideal for solo travel by the US-based online marketplace and hospitality service Airbnb.

Thailand has been visited by 12 million foreign tourists in the first four months of this year, generating more than 800 billion THB.

The tourism and hospitality sectors are predicted to develop rapidly and attract plenty of investment, based on their strong growth in recent years, according to experts.

Many provisions in the 2005 Law on Tourism are outdated and impractical in the context of global integration and needed to be revised, tourism experts have said.

Vietnam and Da Nang in particular could emerge as huge potential markets for Japanese businesses.

Nha Trang received TripAdvisor’s “Destinations on the Rise – Asia” award for its growth in ratings and international recognition it received from online travel communities.

Fifty-five teams from Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces participated in the Long Boat Race Festival of the Khmer people in Soc Trang province from November 23 to 25.