“Destination Greece” Presented To Vietnamese Travel Agents
Argo Travel Asia-Pacific and Travel Media Applications recently presented Greece as a tourism destination to leading travel agencies of Vietnam at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. The event was held in collaboration with the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA).
Forty-eight outbound travel agents based in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, attended the presentation and were informed about Greece and Argo Travel Asia-Pacific services.
According to data from the UNWTO and WTTC, outbound tourism in Vietnam is growing rapidly in the last decade, reaching 1.7 million tourists in 2011 – from 271.000 tourists in 2001 – with an average daily expenditure of $930.
Stratis Voursoukis, director Asia-Pacific of Travel Media Applications and Argo Travel Group, presented themed travel products for Greece as well as Argo Travel’s travel packages tailored to the traveling needs of the Vietnamese market.
On his part, VISTA Chairman Vu The Binh, described the dynamics of outbound tourism from Vietnam and the need of Vietnamese tour operators for new products and destinations.
In regards to Greece, he said the country is a “favorite destinations for Vietnamese travelers,” but that there is a great need for further information in regards to Greek tourism products, infrastructure, prices and services.
Obstacles
During the open discussion that followed the presentation, Vietnamese travel agents noted that obstacles to boost outgoing tourism to Greece include the difficulty of obtaining a visa from the Embassy in Vietnam, the frequent strikes in Greece and the lack of a direct air link from Vietnam.
Argo Travel Group, in cooperation with Travel Media Applications, launched “Argo Travel Asia-Pacific” in May as the sales office for the region, based in Bangkok, Thailand.