More than 520 exhibitors, 260 international buyers, as well as three regional tourism ministers’ conferences, and a series of forums featuring leading global tourism organisations and corporations are all on the menu at the 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2026), which runs 27-29 August in Vietnam.
Organisers expect the 2026 edition will be the largest since its inception in 2005.
Hosted by the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, under the theme ‘Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations’, ITE HCMC 2026 is organised under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. The Expo is jointly organised 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, C.I.S Vietnam Advertising & Exhibition Joint Stock Company.
The number of B2B appointments has increased by more than eight-fold compared with the Expo’s early years, helped by a dynamic hosted buyers programme – the only one of its kind in Vietnam. It will bring 260 high-level international buyers from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Oceania.
Pre-scheduled appointments include Buyers-Sellers Speed Dating on 26 August ahead of the Opening Ceremony and B2B Business Matching on 27 and 28 August, where 21,000 B2B appointments are scheduled.
There will also be pre- and post-tours for international buyers and media.
A major highlight of ITE HCMC 2026 is Ho Chi Minh City’s simultaneous hosting of three Tourism Ministers’ Meetings of Mekong subregional co-operation frameworks.
Alongside the diplomatic engagements, the event brings together international organisations, including UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), as well as global corporations and partners such as Google, Mastercard, EuroCham and the Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO).
The Tourism Forum on 27 August – under the theme ‘Shaping the Future of MICE Tourism: Innovation, Sustainability and Global Connectivity’, will bring together government and tourism leaders, alongside representatives from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Mastercard and Google.
Destinations, businesses and tourism promotion organisations will also host a wide range of thematic workshops, presentations and networking activities throughout the Expo.
A public facing programme will also feature artistic performances, cultural exchanges, culinary experiences and a wide range of interactive activities, engaging directly with consumers.
Mr. Pham Huy Binh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said: “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. Over the three days of the event, Ho Chi Minh City is honoured to host the Tourism Ministers’ Meetings of Mekong subregional co-operation frameworks, while also bringing together a series of thematic forums addressing the trends shaping the future of tourism, including artificial intelligence (AI), destination brand management, medical tourism and tourism technology start-ups.”
