ITE Ho Chi Minh City 2026 drew 47,960 visitors and participants to Ho Chi Minh City from August 27 to 29, marking the 20th and largest edition of the international tourism expo. The event took place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center over three days.
The expo featured participation from over 520 exhibitors and tourism brands across 410 booths. Organizers reported more than 21,000 business-to-business meetings during the event. A total of 309 senior international buyers, media representatives, content creators, and media partners joined from 32 countries and territories.
Prominent international travel companies present included TUI Group, Flight Centre
Travel Group, Intrepid Travel, JTB, and Thomas Cook India. TUI Group and other brands such as Bunnik Tours, IFC, GetYourGuide, Trip.com, and Uniworld Boutique River Cruises exhibited for the first time at ITE HCMC.
Exhibitors represented a wide range of destinations including 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 participated, with 26 operating exhibition booths.
Mekong Sub-Region Tourism Ministerial Meetings
For the first time, ITE HCMC hosted three Mekong sub-region tourism ministerial meetings simultaneously. The Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Tourism Ministers’ Meeting convened on August 26, focusing on tourism
product development and market connectivity. Following that, the seventh ACMECS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting and the eighth CLMV Tourism Ministers’ Meeting took place on August 27, addressing destination connectivity, sustainable tourism, and regional cooperation.
These ministerial sessions produced joint documents and strategic action frameworks to guide future collaboration in tourism development.
Bilateral Meetings with Key Tourism Stakeholders
During ITE HCMC, city and tourism officials held bilateral talks with representatives including Cambodia’s tourism minister, the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and Qingdao Airlines.
Industry Forums and Conferences at ITE HCMC 2026
The expo hosted 15 forums, conferences, and specialist seminars featuring 26 international
and 25 Vietnamese speakers and experts. The sessions attracted over 1,100 attendees in person and drew 8,500 online viewers.
A high-level forum focused on meeting, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) tourism included more than 400 delegates. Discussions concentrated on sustainability, technology, policy developments, and public-private partnerships in tourism.
Additional sessions addressed topics such as artificial intelligence, medical tourism, destination branding, sustainable tourism product development, and international market connectivity.
Startup and Market Insight Programs
The 2026 edition expanded its startup component with participation from six Vietnamese and eight South Korean startups. These companies operate primarily in artificial intelligence and tourism technology sectors, showcased during the Global
Tourism Innovation Startup Investment and Connection Day.
Sessions also included focused discussions on Chinese travelers to Vietnam, exploring travel behaviors via the Xiaohongshu social platform, and destination-specific events featuring Hai Phong and Thai Nguyen.
Familiarisation and Press Itineraries
International buyers, media representatives, and delegates took part in 16 familiarisation and press itineraries linked to the expo. More than 400 participants experienced programs highlighting Ho Chi Minh City’s attractions, cultural performances, culinary offerings, and heritage.
Itineraries extending beyond the city incorporated resorts, golf, and green tourism products targeting markets such as the United States, Russia, the UAE, China, Taiwan, and Malaysia.
A new heritage and
ecological itinerary connected Ho Chi Minh City with Vinh Long in the Mekong Delta, integrating Khmer cultural heritage experiences.
Organisers have scheduled the next ITE Ho Chi Minh City to take place in September 2027.
