Travel Expo ITE HCMC 2026 aims for over 21,000 business appointments in tourism
WVR - More than 21,000 business appointments between Vietnamese and international tourism enterprises are expected to take place at the 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2026), creating additional channels to expand the international tourist market and develop tourism products.
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| The 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2026) takes place from August 27-29 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center. (Photo: Chu Van) |
On the morning of August 7, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, in collaboration with the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, held a press conference to introduce ITE HCMC 2026. The expo will take place from August 27 to 29 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), with the theme “Vibrant Connectivity – Global Destination”.
According to the organizers, this year's expo features over 520 exhibitors and brands, with participation from the tourism sectors of 34 provinces and cities. The International Buyers Program is expected to gather 260 representatives from tourism businesses and organizations from over 40 countries and territories.
The list of international buyers includes representatives from tourism corporations and businesses such as TUI Group, DERTOUR, American Express Global Business Travel, Flight Centre Travel Group, Thomas Cook, and Trip.com Group.
Beyond showcasing destinations, the core activity of ITE HCMC 2026 is connecting tourism supply and demand. More than 21,000 pre-arranged B2B appointments between international buyers and Vietnamese businesses, along with quick meetings and destination surveys, are scheduled.
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| Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism Pham Huy Binh speaks. (Photo: Chu Van) |
Through direct meetings, domestic businesses have the opportunity to find distribution partners, introduce products to international sales systems, and access new customer markets. This is also a chance for international businesses to learn about Vietnam's products, services, and destinations.
ITE HCMC 2026 is organized in the context of Ho Chi Minh City concurrently hosting three Tourism Ministers' Conferences within the framework of the Mekong sub-region cooperation mechanisms.
The conferences focus on enhancing destination connectivity, developing joint tourism products, exchanging tourists, and promoting sustainable tourism.
The combination of the expo with ministerial forums is expected to expand the tourism cooperation space between Vietnam and regional countries, rather than just stopping at business connections.
In addition to trade activities, forums and specialized workshops on August 27-28 will focus on issues directly impacting the competitiveness of the tourism industry, such as artificial intelligence, MICE tourism, medical tourism, destination brand management, sustainable development, and tourism tech startups.
Representatives from UN Tourism, PATA, Google, Mastercard, EuroCham, and many international organizations and businesses are expected to participate in these activities.
According to Pham Huy Binh, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, after 20 years, ITE HCMC has not only grown in scale but also gradually improved the quality of connections between domestic businesses and the international market.
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| ITE 2026 organizers answer the press. (Photo: Chu Van) |
The expansion of the expo space for residents and tourists from the afternoon of August 27 to the end of August 29 is also seen as a way to bring tourism promotion activities closer to the consumer market.
Here, residents and tourists can explore new tourism routes and products, promotional programs, incentives, as well as culinary products, local specialties, and OCOP.
With over 520 exhibitors, 260 international buyers, and tens of thousands of B2B appointments, ITE HCMC 2026 is expected not only to be a destination promotion event but also to become a market connection channel, helping Vietnamese tourism businesses find partners and increase their ability to bring products to the international market.
