Vietnam’s first IR rebrands to attract MICE tourism

Grand Ho Tram has changed its name to Intercontinental Grand Ho Tram in order to attract more international visitors and take greater advantage of its MICE space.

Vietnam.- The Grand Ho Tram IR has changed its name to Intercontinental Grand Ho Tram after the company reached an agreement with IHG Hotels and Resorts.

The IR has added a 502-key Holiday Inn Resort, which will remain a non-gaming property. The change is aimed to bring in more international travellers.

Akshay Moza, VP of the commercial division, said: “We were lucky, the domestic market was very resilient and very strong, not just for the casino, but the hotel has always attracted customers from Ho Chi Minh.”

Revenue from MICE tourism is nearly six times higher than other types of tourism in Vietnam.

At present, Vietnamese citizens are only permitted to enter two casinos: one on the southern island of Phu Quoc and the other in Van Don, in the northern province of Quang Ninh. However, many citizens also hold overseas passports, giving the casino a solid base.

In March, casino operators asked the government to expand Vietnamese citizens’ access to casinos in major tourist destinations such as Quang Nam and Ba Ria-Vung Tau to help casinos face the loss of revenue from tourists owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

However, the government said the current scheme won’t be expanded to other casino operators.