The Vietnam Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has invited bidders for events to promote the country’s tourism in foreign countries in the first three months of 2010, a tourism official said.

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 200 square meters 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 75 square meters and similar promotion activities.

Vu The Binh, head of the travel department 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 told the Daily on Sunday. 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.

* The Vietnam Hotel Association made its debut on Sunday in a ceremony at the five-star Melia Hotel in the capital city of Hanoi. The association was established by the Vietnam Tourism Association.

The association aims to promote cooperation among hotels across the country, improve services and develop the hotel sector.

Do Thi Hong Xoan, head of the hotel department under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, was selected chairperson of the association, which has an initial membership of around 120 being hotels from around the country.

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the country has around 10,900 tourist accommodations with 215,000 rooms. There are around 184 three-star standard accommodations with 13,200 rooms, 95 four-star facilities with 11,630 rooms and 35 five-star standard ones with over 8,800 rooms.

VietNamNet/SGT