Vietnam’s 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2026) will take place from August 27 to 29, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. The event, themed ‘Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations’, is the country’s largest international travel expo, featuring more than 520 exhibitors and 260 international buyers.
Organized under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the expo is co-hosted by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism. The
Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center alongside C.I.S Vietnam Advertising & Exhibition Joint Stock Company are also co-organizers. This edition is expected to be the largest in the event’s history, benefiting from a hosted buyers program that has increased business-to-business (B2B) appointments more than eightfold since its inception.
Simultaneous Tourism Ministers’ Meetings and Global Participation
During ITE HCMC 2026, Ho Chi Minh City will concurrently host three Tourism Ministers’ Meetings for Mekong subregional cooperation frameworks. The event includes participation from key global tourism institutions such as UN Tourism, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and the Thailand Convention & Exhibition
Bureau (TCEB). Corporate partners Google, Mastercard, EuroCham, and the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO) will also participate.
B2B Appointments and Hosted Buyers Program Details
The hosted buyers program is unique in Vietnam and will welcome 260 high-level international buyers originating from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Pre-scheduled events include Buyers-Sellers Speed Dating on August 26, ahead of the opening ceremony, followed by B2B Business Matching sessions on August 27 and 28. Overall, 21,000 B2B appointments are scheduled throughout the expo. International buyers and media will have access to arranged pre- and post-event tours to support networking and industry insights.
Expo Forums, Workshops and Public Engagements
The Tourism Forum on August
27 centers on the theme ‘Shaping the Future of MICE Tourism: Innovation, Sustainability and Global Connectivity,’ assembling government and tourism sector leaders, including representatives from GSTC, TCEB, PATA, Mastercard, and Google. Additional workshops, presentations, and networking activities are planned to run throughout the event. The expo also offers a public program featuring cultural performances, culinary showcases, artistic exchanges, and interactive activities promoting direct engagement with consumers.
Official Perspective on Event Growth and Future Themes
Pham Huy Binh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, noted the 2026 event reflects the expo’s increasing scale, quality, and standing over two decades. He emphasized the significance of hosting
the Mekong subregi onal Tourism Ministers’ Meetings concurrently with thematic forums focusing on future industry trends such as artificial intelligence (AI), destination brand management, medical tourism, and tourism technology startups.
