The 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2026) runs from 27-29 August 2026 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Organised under the direction of Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, joint organisers include the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, and C.I.S Vietnam Advertising & Exhibition Joint Stock Company. The theme for ITE HCMC 2026 is “Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations.”
More than
520 exhibitors will participate, and the hosted buyers programme brings 260 high-level international buyers from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and Oceania. There are 21,000 business-to-business (B2B) appointments scheduled, including Buyers-Sellers Speed Dating on 26 August and B2B Business Matching on 27 and 28 August. This constituted an eight-fold increase in B2B appointments compared with the expo’s early years.
Tourism Ministers’ Meetings and Industry Forums
Ho Chi Minh City is hosting three regional Tourism Ministers’ Meetings of Mekong subregional co-operation frameworks concurrently with the expo. The Tourism Forum on 27 August will feature discussions on MICE tourism topics such as innovation, sustainability, and global
connectivity. Participating organisations include UN Tourism, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Google, Mastercard, EuroCham, and Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO).
Workshops, Cultural Programmes and Networking
The event features thematic workshops, presentations, and networking activities designed to support business development. The public-facing programme includes artistic performances, cultural exchanges, and culinary experiences alongside the professional sessions to provide a broad platform for industry and consumer engagement.
Expo Growth and Future Tourism Trends
Pham Huy Binh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, stated, “The 20th anniversary of ITE HCMC 2026 is not simply a milestone in time; it also reflects
the Expo’s growing maturity in terms of scale, quality and standing.” He highlighted the importance of hosting the Tourism Ministers’ Meetings while addressing future tourism trends including artificial intelligence (AI), destination brand management, medical tourism, and tourism technology start-ups.
