Following the success of 19 editions, the 20th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2026) is officially unveiled under the theme “Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations.”
The event is directed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism in coordination with relevant partners.
ITE HCMC 2026 will take place from August 27–29, 2026 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), alongside a series of satellite activities across Ho Chi Minh City.
ITE HCMC 2026 – A 20-Year Milestone
Marking its 20th edition, ITE HCMC 2026 underscores its position as one of the leading tourism events in Vietnam and Asia, while reinforcing the growing global presence of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam.
More than a conventional trade expo, the event serves as a premier international tourism promotion platform, bringing together government bodies, industry stakeholders, experts, media, and global buyers to drive innovation and create new value in an increasingly green, smart, and sustainable tourism landscape.
The theme “Vibrant Connections” reflects a borderless tourism ecosystem, where digital innovation and artificial intelligence converge with cultural heritage to enable more agile, scalable, and results-driven collaboration among governments, industry stakeholders, and global partners. “Global Destinations” underscores the ambition to elevate Ho Chi Minh City’s global tourism profile, positioning ITE HCMC as a strategic regional hub where international visitor flows, products, market trends, and cross-border partnerships converge.
Scale and strategy for international market coverage
ITE HCMC continues to be honored as “Asia’s Best Trade Show” at the World MICE Awards for two consecutive years, 2024 and 2025, affirming the event’s prestige and quality on the international stage. The event further cements its leadership in Vietnam through a professionally curated, large-scale Hosted Buyers Program, bringing together key partners from priority markets. More than a trade platform, ITE HCMC enables Vietnamese destinations to showcase globally while providing a focused forum for industry trends, insights, and innovation.
Continuing to expand in scale and impact, ITE HCMC 2026 is expected to welcome 520+ exhibitors, 34 Vietnamese localities, and 260 international buyers from over 32 countries and territories (+10% YoY), along with 30,000+ visitors (+15% YoY). The event is projected to facilitate over 20,050 B2B meetings, driving direct engagement between international and Vietnamese tourism businesses.
As a key driver of Vietnam’s tourism industry, Ho Chi Minh City continues to proactively adjust its international visitor market strategy toward diversification, stronger adaptability, and economic efficiency, while maintaining MICE and high-end travel segments to help stabilize the overall performance of the industry.
Vietnam’s inbound tourism is currently driven by Northeast Asia (55%), followed by Southeast Asia (20%) and Australia & India (6%). Ho Chi Minh City reflects a similarly diversified structure, with visitors from Northeast Asia (44%), Southeast Asia (15%), North America (14%), Oceania (7%), and South Asia (6%). This diversified base enables the city to adopt a more flexible promotion strategy, reduce reliance on single markets, and enhance resilience amid global volatility.
In response to geopolitical tensions and global disruptions affecting air connectivity and travel demand, Ho Chi Minh City is recalibrating its tourism strategy toward broader market coverage, risk diversification, and prioritization of high-recovery regions. While disruptions linked to the Middle East may impact certain long-haul and transit-dependent markets, they also present opportunities to grow arrivals from more stable regions such as Northeast Asia, Russia and Central Asia, Australia, and India.
Under this approach, Northeast Asia and the United States remain core markets for maintaining volume and stability. Western Europe (including Germany) and Australia are prioritized for higher-value growth, while Southeast Asia and India continue to serve as stable sources to balance the market and mitigate geopolitical risks.
Against this backdrop, ITE HCMC 2026 reinforces its role as a leading international tourism platform, driving inbound growth and market diversification through targeted B2B matching, promotion, and strategic engagement, enabling destinations and businesses to expand partnerships and elevate their global positioning.
In addition, the expo also attracts strong interest from international media, with the participation of 60 press agencies and globally recognized KOLs/travel bloggers, helping amplify Ho Chi Minh City’s visibility across global tourism markets.
ITE HCMC 2026 offers a high-impact platform for Vietnamese and international tourism businesses to connect, collaborate, and unlock new growth opportunities in a dynamic, world-class trading environment. As a strategic meeting point, particularly for enterprises from the Lower Mekong region, the expo fosters meaningful partnerships, showcases diverse and competitive tourism products, and opens access to emerging business models shaping the future of sustainable travel. It also empowers localities and industry players to spotlight Vietnam’s distinctive destinations and curated experiences, positioning Ho Chi Minh City as a vibrant gateway to the region for global travelers.
Highlighted activities
This year’s expo is designed with a series of highly professional activities and broad influence:
• High-Level Tourism Forum: Discussion of smart destination management policies, green infrastructure, and renewable energy in tourism, while promoting circular business models and sustainable tourism infrastructure.
• International tourism conferences in Vietnam in 2026: The 8th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and the 8th Tourism Ministers’ Meeting of Cambodia – Laos – Myanmar – Vietnam (CLMV); the 7th Tourism Ministers’ Meeting of the Ayeyarwady – Chao Phraya – Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS); and the 1st Tourism Ministers’ Meeting of Cambodia – Laos – Vietnam (CLV).
• Heritage experience journeys: Pre/Post Tour destination familiarization programs for media and international buyers, introducing waterway tourism products, rural ecotourism, and distinctive craft villages of localities.
• Travel Fun Fair Day: A vibrant tourism stimulus space featuring thousands of promotional tours and creating a multicultural exchange playground.
Commenting on the 20-year journey of International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), a representative of the leadership of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism shared:
“Over the past two decades, ITE HCMC has not merely been a trade expo, but has become a bridge connecting the essence of Vietnamese tourism with the flow of regional and global tourism. Entering its 20th year, ITE HCMC 2026 carries a historic mission: not only to be a place for meeting, but a place for creating breakthrough solutions for a new era of tourism – an era of smart connectivity, green development, and sustainable cooperation.
With the theme ‘Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations,’ we affirm the pioneering role of Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism industry in leading the transformation from ‘traditional tourism’ to a ‘green and digital tourism ecosystem,’ enhancing international competitiveness. ITE HCMC 2026 is the strongest commitment to a Vietnam that is proactively integrating, ready to break through, and steadfastly elevate its position on the tourism map of the future.”
International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2026)
ITE HCMC 2026 is implemented under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, organized by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, with the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center and partners coordinating its execution.
Website: www.itehcmc.travel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itehcmc.internationaltravel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vibranthochiminhcity/