Luxury Travel Vietnam receives more MICE requests in the first quarter of 2014

HANOI - The MICE and luxury travel business are two sectors of tourism which are more and more important for our industry and which are now working in tandem. This is the reason why we now have a special category for “Luxury MICE” serving customers who visit Vietnam for business but would also like to spend some time travelling in style. Some experts think that the MICE “tigers” of Southeast Asia, Singapore and Malaysia, have maxed out their venue capacity, and that Vietnam is the fast-growing MICE destination to watch.

Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City added 4 and 5 star international hotels last year with more in 2014, many of them targeting the MICE market such as the Marriott in Hanoi and Intercontinental Nha Trang. This is good news for tourism recovery in Vietnam and for us at Luxury Travel Vietnam as we have received significantly more MICE requests, especially from France, the UK, Australia and the rest of Asia for 2014 ranging from 50 to 300 people.

Luxury Travel Vietnam received fifty MICE groups last year, most recently from Thailand. The group spent four days in Hanoi and Halong Bay with a gala dinner at Intercontinental Westlake Hanoi Hotel.

High-end travellers still have money and time, and they continue to travel even during the financial crisis, Pham Ha, Luxury Travel Ltd founder and CEO, said. The company has served more than half of the estimated 10,000 high-end travellers to Vietnam with VIP guests of the company including ambassadors, royal families, prime ministers, and a variety of celebrities. “We have a great event planning team who are very customer focused, flexible and detail orientated,” Pham Ha added.

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, they are the logical choices, having the infrastructure and services to handle the unique needs of event organisers and meeting planners. Also, Danang, Nha Trang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City still have plenty of hidden delights left for visitors to discover.

Now that Vietnam is recognized as a good destination for MICE, the tourism industry, especially luxury hotels and airlines, is promoting the centre of Vietnam 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 and they 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). 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 is now recognized as an important hub for "Luxury MICE" and in November 2013, billionaires from across the globe, including the Middle East and Asia, flew to Da Nang in their private planes for a financial and tourism conference held at the InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort on the Son Tra peninsular.

Although Vietnam does not lack hotels which are suitable for the MICE market, the airports, roads, railways and logistics need to improve to serve MICE travellers better and to be able to compete with Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. In addition, potential MICE destinations such as Danang need more international airline links. Above all, Vietnam Tourism needs a MICE department to effectively promote the country in key markets. As it stands there is not enough staff to fulfill this role and those that are there are not professional. Despite the current financial crisis the Asian market is very strong for the MICE market and Vietnam should be focusing on this.

Luxury Travel Company is the MICE specialist in Vietnam, offering years of experience as a reliable business and corporate travel partner in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Luxury Travel Company offers all that MICE planners need to organize successful trips and prides itself in being the premier company in this field for over 10 years now.

“Vietnam still has a long way to go to become a regional MICE destination, but we are eager to tap into this market and Vietnam is very appealing for MICE planners and travellers who want the world’s most authentic experiences. Danang is perfect for Bleisure (business and leisure),” said Pham Ha. As an award-winning company, Luxury Travel Ltd takes care of the arrangements of any event, big or small, including meeting, conference, exhibition or seminar facilities, as well as all land operations for top VIP delegates.

"MICE planners trust our company for tailor-made luxury MICE incentive trips because of our expert advice and professionalism. Luxury Travel has a good reputation in the MICE industry for truly unique, rewarding and enriching experiences for guests. I am very upbeat about the MICE recovery for 2014-2015", continued Pham Ha.

In 2012, the tourism industry generated 6.85 million international and 32.5 million domestic trips bringing in around US$7.6 billion in revenue. In 2013 Vietnam welcomed 7.2 million foreign visitors in all markets and 35 million domestic tourists with revenues of US$9 billion. Vietnam expects to attract 7 to 7.5 million international tourists and have 36 to 37 million domestic tourists in 2015, and that the tourism sector will contribute 5.5-6% of the country’s GDP by then.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews