ITE HCMC 2026 attracted 47,960 visitors and participants to Ho Chi Minh City between 27 and 29 August, marking the 20th edition of Vietnam’s largest tourism expo. The event took place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, featuring more than 520 exhibitors and tourism brands across 410 booths.
International Participation and Business Meetings
The expo hosted 309 international senior buyers, media representatives, content creators, and media partners from 32 countries and territories. Over 21,000 business-to-business meetings were recorded, involving more than 50 multinational companies, tourism operators, and global MICE organisations. New exhibitor entrants included TUI Group, Bunnik Tours, IFC, GetYourGuide, Trip.com, and Uniworld Boutique
River Cruises. Established travel operators participating ranged from Flight Centre Travel Group and Intrepid Travel to JTB and Thomas Cook India.
Exhibitor Origins and Vietnamese Regional Involvement
Visitors encountered exhibitor representation from international destinations such as Portugal, Bhutan, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Japan, Thailand, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, and Italy. Within Vietnam, 34 provinces and cities took part, with 26 maintaining exhibition booths. This broad participation reflected diverse tourism offerings and regional engagement across the country.
Concurrent Mekong Sub-Region Tourism Ministerial Meetings
The expo coincided with three Mekong sub-region tourism ministerial meetings held simultaneously in Ho Chi Minh City for the first time. On 26 August,
the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Tourism Ministers’ Meeting focused on tourism product development and market connectivity. The following day, the seventh ACMECS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting and eighth CLMV Tourism Ministers’ Meeting addressed destination connectivity, sustainable tourism, and regional cooperation frameworks. These gatherings generated joint strategic documents and action plans with outcomes aligned to regional tourism development.
Forums, Seminars, and Conference Attendance
Fifteen forums, conferences, and specialist seminars were conducted with 26 international and 25 Vietnamese speakers. These sessions attracted more than 1,100 attendees on site and reached an additional 8,500 viewers online. A high-level MICE tourism forum engaged over 400 delegates, discussing sustainability, technological innovation, policy, and public-private
partnerships. Topics also included artificial intelligence applications, medical tourism, destination branding, sustainable products, and market connectivity.
Startup Investment Day and Tourism Innovation
The event expanded its focus on innovation through the Global Tourism Innovation Startup Investment and Connection Day. Six Vietnamese and eight South Korean startups took part, presenting technologies related to artificial intelligence and tourism technology advancements. This featured component underlined growing momentum in supporting tourism startups within Asia.
Familiarisation Itineraries and Market Outreach
International buyers, media, and delegates participated in 16 familiarisation and press itineraries involving over 400 individuals. The programmes combined well-known Ho Chi Minh City attractions with cultural performances, local cuisine, and heritage experiences. Additional itineraries offered
exposure to resorts, golf, and green tourism products targeting markets such as the United States, Russia, the UAE, China, Taiwan, and Malaysia.
New Heritage and Ecological Tourism Route
A new itinerary linked Ho Chi Minh City with Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta. This route incorporated Khmer cultural heritage alongside ecological tourism offerings, broadening the variety of experiences promoted during the event.
ITE HCMC’s next edition is scheduled for September 2027 in Ho Chi Minh City.
