Lac Hong Voyages forms specialist events and marketing subsidiary

RECOGNISING a lack of travel trade networking opportunities in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City-based leisure travel specialist and DMC, Lac Hong Voyages, has created an events and marketing arm that focuses on organising functions that connect practitioners in all areas of the tourism industry.

The new JTR Events & Marketing Co is led by both the owners of Lac Hong Voyages, Jonathan Tran and Robert Tan.

Tran said: “We have been toying with the idea of creating such a company for a long time. We realised that good travel trade networking functions were only available when a major trade show was in town, such as when ASEAN Tourism Forum came to Hanoi in 2009 and there were dinners and late night functions for delegates. But we need such networking platforms more frequently.”

JTR will host its first trade networking event on January 31 at Hard Rock Café in Ho Chi Minh City, which has already garnered the support of five-star hotels, airlines, spas and restaurants across Vietnam, according to Tran, who added that travel agents and corporate buyers have also registered for the event.

“Such functions allow operators of spas and restaurants to meet and talk business with tour operators, which is a rare opportunity here,” Tran said.

Besides organising travel trade networking functions, JTR will also provide marketing and research services to overseas travel companies seeking to tap the burgeoning Vietnamese outbound travel market. It is now representing firms such as South Korea’s Hong Sheng Travel and Indonesia’s MG Holiday.

“Vietnamese consumers are travelling out more frequently now, and many overseas tour companies are eager to win this piece of business. However, not many are familiar with the travel habits and desires of the Vietnamese traveller. That’s where JTR comes in. We provide market research into travel trends and behaviour, and help travel companies identify new products in their destinations that Vietnamese travellers will like,” he said.

To-date, JTR has helped organise table-top meetings, roadshows and networking events in Vietnam for the tourism boards of Hong Kong and Shenzhen, which were attended by Vietnamese travel companies and corporate buyers.

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