Hanoi (VNA) – The organisers of the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM) 2026 are pursuing a new strategic direction, said Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh as he outlined plans for the 15th edition of the fair, scheduled to take place from April 9 to 12 at the Hanoi International Centre for Exhibition.
Under the new approach, VITM will no longer focus solely on discounted travel packages and domestic tourism stimulus programmes. Instead, it is expected to serve as a major international networking venue welcoming representatives of hundreds of travel companies from Vietnam’s key overseas markets and creating fresh opportunities for cooperation aimed at increasing inbound tourism.
Elevating VITM into international business platform
– One of the defining features of VITM 2026, compared with previous editions, will be the direct “business exchange floor” between Vietnamese and international companies. Could you elaborate on this new direction?
Mr Vu The Binh: The primary focus of this year’s fair is to attract international visitors and as such, we will welcome a significant number of foreign tour operators. Nearly 200 representatives from international travel companies in Vietnam’s key tourism markets, alongside more than 200 domestic tourism businesses, are expected to participate in a B2B networking session on April 10 within the framework of the fair. This will be the event’s most important activity because these are the partners capable of bringing visitors directly to Vietnam.
Indeed, the sharp rise in international arrivals over the recent past has been driven in part by the presence of some 500 foreign travel companies already operating in Vietnam. Building on that momentum, VITM 2026 has officially repositioned itself primarily as a B2B platform while still maintaining B2C activities for businesses and members of the public to engage in tourism-related buying and selling.
A highlight of this year’s networking programme is that it will create valuable opportunities for both buyers and sellers. The event is not only intended for large corporations, but even small businesses offering niche products can participate, especially those that have embraced digital transformation and AI applications to market their products internationally.
We also expect that as digital transformation in the tourism sector becomes more deeply embedded at the enterprise level, businesses will increasingly be able to engage directly with international partners online.
– With such a large-scale event, organisers are clearly hoping to attract a record number of international visitors, contributing to the Government’s target of 25 million foreign arrivals for the sector. However, given current geopolitical uncertainties, do you think Vietnam’s tourism industry will be affected, and how should it respond in order to maintain visitor numbers?
Mr Vu The Binh: Undoubtedly, the current global situation will have a considerable impact on the tourism industry worldwide, including in Vietnam. However, I would like stress that Vietnam is likely to be affected to a lesser extent than many others. Therefore, the tourism sector can continue with confidence in implementing both domestic and overseas promotional programmes.
Particularly, the Vietnam Tourism Association intends to bring together businesses under a new promotional approach, which is inviting a large number of international enterprises to Vietnam so they can witness first-hand the country’s transformation, meet local partners and explore new destinations. That direct experience is the most compelling attraction for them and will help Vietnam draw even more international visitors.
Naturally, digital promotion is becoming increasingly prominent and is undoubtedly the future trend. Nevertheless, the association intends to proceed on “two fronts”: combining digital promotion with direct engagement involving foreign travel firms.
The era of high-quality tourism products
– VITM 2026 is also expected to stimulate the domestic tourism market. What benefits can consumers expect from the promotional programmes offered by participating businesses?
Mr Vu The Binh: This year, companies will continue to offer promotional packages for travellers, particularly for business partners attending the fair. This has become an established annual practice, and both visitors and business delegates can certainly expect preferential offers.
However, the key priority now is to improve the quality of tourism services and increase overall industry revenue. Consequently, reducing prices simply to attract greater numbers of tourists is no longer the association’s primary objective. Instead, product quality will be the decisive factor.
– With the tourism sector pursuing ambitious targets this year, supported by a series of more open policies introduced in 2025 and earlier to position tourism as a spearhead economic sector, what more does Vietnam need to do to become a more attractive and internationally respected destination?
Mr Vu The Binh: From our perspective, the Government has already introduced very good policies and created favourable conditions for tourism development. The key issue now lies in how effectively local authorities and State management agencies implement those policies. We therefore hope that provinces and cities across the country will place greater emphasis on tourism development.
I know that many localities have already identified tourism as a spearhead economic sector. We have worked closely with numerous localities to discuss ways to increase visitor numbers, and it is encouraging to see that many are now prioritising attracting international tourists. That represents a very positive shift in direction.
Accordingly, if local authorities focus on tourism development, capitalise on the advantages created by State policies, and provide meaningful support for businesses, I believe Vietnam’s tourism industry will make even stronger progress in 2026.
- Thank you for your insights./.
