Vietnam readies to host ATF 2019 in Halong Bay

ATF will be rotated to Vietnam next year; Cai Bau Pagoda in Quang Ninh Province pictured

Preparations are well under way for Vietnam to host ATF 2019 in Halong Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh.

Vietnam’s minister of culture, sports and tourism, Nguyen Ngoc Thien, told TTG Asia: “The people of Quang Ninh province are ready to welcome delegates and guests.”

ATF will be rotated to Vietnam next year; boats sailing in Halong Bay pictured

Planning for the event has been ongoing since 2009, with a swathe of new products created in the province to host delegates and guests.

This includes Quang Ninh Exhibition of Planning and Expo Centre, which will host the event and features 21,000m2 of floor space.

Nguyen added that the highway connecting the capital of Hanoi with the province, which is home to World Heritage Site Halong Bay, is slated to be finished ahead of ATF, cutting transport times from about four hours to 1.5.

And, as previously reported by TTG Asia, Van Don International Airport is slated to welcome its first flights ahead of ATF.

Hopes are also high that Vietnam will reap the rewards of hosting the event, with it showcasing to ASEAN that it is capable of putting on large-scale conferences in a destination he described as “very active”.

He said: “By organising ATF, we hope to increase connectivity and flights between Vietnam and the ASEAN member states, and aim to drive sustainable tourism.”

Nguyen also predicts a rise in domestic and intraregional tourism in the wake of the event.

“The tourism industry will be further and wider promoted, and (travellers from) ASEAN countries will visit Vietnam more and more,” he said. “It will also help to promote further the image of our country, the people and culture, and Vietnam will be known more to friends and tourists across the world.”

After Vietnam, Brunei will be the host of ATF 2020 as the annual tourism event rotates around the ASEAN 10 member countries according to alphabetical order.

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