HO CHI MINH CITY, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 2nd Annual Global Hotels & Resorts Conference kicked off here on Monday, with the participation of some 100 delegates from all over the world.

At the two-day conference, delegates are to center their discussions on market trends and business opportunities in the hospitality industry across the globe, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, including hotel mergers and acquisitions, its organizers said. They will also engage in networking and making deals.

By the end of 2017, Vietnam housed 80 international hotel operators, up from 30 by late 2010, according to Savills Vietnam, the largest property consultancy in the country. Over 150 four- and five-star hotels and resorts are under construction and slated for opening by 2020.

In the first eight months of this year, the country hosted 10.4 million international arrivals, up 22.8 percent year-on-year, with the highest growth of 52.4 percent in the number of visitors from South Korea, followed by Finland and China, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.