VNAT wants to outsource a three-day event in Thailand’s Bangkok, and two-day events in Malaysia and Singapore between February 28 and March 6. Each program should attract at least 50 travel buyers and 30 media organizations and tourism officials.

VNAT has also asked event makers to design a pavilion on 200m² at ITB Berlin 2010, the world’s leading travel trade show, from March 10-14 in Germany, and to cooperate with VNAT to invite big travel buyers to the pavilion.

The last event in the list is the Moscow International Travel and Exhibition 2010 to take place in Russia from March 17-20 with a booth of around 75m² and similar promotion activities.

Vu The Binh, Director of Department of Travel under VNAT, said this was the first time VNAT had invited professional companies to organize tourism promotion programs abroad.

“We want to make such programs more professional for a better result,” Binh said

He did not elaborate on the cost for each of the event, but said VNAT would have at least VND40 billion to organize tourism promotion activities at home and abroad this year.

According to VNAT, the country received around 3.8 million foreign visitors in 2009, down nearly 11% compared to 2008.

VNAT is trying to woo visitors from ASEAN countries, Japan, China, North America and Northern and Western Europe.

(Source: SGT)