TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has set up a pavilion at the Vietnam International Travel Mart, which kicked off on Thursday in Hanoi.

Chou Hsin-yi (周欣毅), director of the Tourism Administration's office in Ho Chi Minh City, said Vietnam has long been an important source of international tourists for Taiwan, CNA reported. Twenty-nine organizations and nearly 50 representatives from Taiwan are participating in the exhibition to share the latest travel information.

Chou pointed out that 370,548 Vietnamese visited Taiwan last year, recovering 92% of pre-COVID-19 numbers. The goal this year is to attract even more Vietnamese visitors, he said. The Tourism Administration is organizing networking events between Taiwanese and Vietnamese travel professionals, he added.

The Grand Hotel Taipei is participating in the event for the first time. Wu I-chen (吳依宸), the hotel’s associate director of sales, said the hotel is responding to Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy by seeking to attract more Southeast Asian visitors. The hotel is promoting its secret passage tour and bubble tea to Vietnamese, Wu said.

The Vietnam International Travel Mart features nearly 30 exhibitors and will run from April 10 to 13.