As part of the 20th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2026), the ministry of culture, sports and tourism, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, convened the ITE HCMC 2026 High-Level Tourism Forum which put MICE industry development at the top of its agenda. The Forum attracted 300 delegates under the theme ‘MICE Tourism in the New Era: Sustainability – Connectivity – Opportunity’. The event, like the ITE HCMC 2026 main exhibition at the end of August, was held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City and brought together senior government leaders, representatives of the tourism ministry, ASEAN tourism ministers, diplomatic representatives, and tourism business experts from Vietnam and around the world.
The Forum programme was chaired and moderated by deputy prime minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra, minister of tourism Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, and vice-chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Loc Ha.
The Forum focused on major shifts in the MICE market, the growing imperative for sustainable development, technology adoption, policy frameworks and public-private partnerships, seeking practical solutions to strengthen Vietnam’s competitiveness as a leading MICE destination in the region.
The deputy prime minister stressed that Vietnam’s ambition extends beyond becoming a venue for major events and said the country seeks to become an active contributor to shaping the future of the global MICE industry – making it greener, smarter, more innovative and more sustainable.
For the Mekong sub-region and Southeast Asia, the deputy prime minister called for a shift from fragmented competition towards the co-creation of a regional MICE ecosystem, built around three pillars:
- Expanding markets together: Developing multi-country MICE itineraries and joint destination promotion.
- Raising quality together: Advancing greener and smarter MICE practices and sharing common standards.
- Creating new value together: Connecting MICE with trade, investment, innovation and the cultural and creative industries.
The minister called on ministries, sectors and local authorities to focus on four priorities:
- Strengthening institutions and infrastructure: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is tasked with urgently developing a National MICE Development Strategy, establishing mechanisms to attract global MICE groups and upgrading exhibition and convention facilities to international standards.
- Innovating products and destination branding: Connecting MICE with culture, heritage and the night-time economy, while moving from individual events towards building internationally recognised event brands.
- Advancing green and digital transformation: Developing green MICE standards, accelerating the application of artificial intelligence and big data, and strengthening the tourism workforce to meet global standards.
- Strengthening Ho Chi Minh City’s leadership role: The City is encouraged to build on its pioneering position and strive to become a leading MICE hub in the region, while developing ITE HCMC into a major Asian platform for connecting tourism policy and destinations.
The leaders also emphasised the importance of translating the Forum’s initiatives and recommendations into concrete policies and actionable programmes.
The deputy prime minister concluded: “If we want to go far, we must go together; if we want to reach greater heights, we must rise together.”
The International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) is an annual international tourism trade promotion event directed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
The 20th edition of ITE HCMC ran 27–29 August, 2026 and brought together more than 500 businesses and brands from over 45 countries and territories, alongside 34 provinces and cities across Vietnam.
