Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Taking place from August 27-29, the 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2026) is positioned as one of Vietnam’s most reputable international tourism events, expanding its role in connecting Vietnamese destinations with international markets.
Hub for high-value visitor sources
ITE HCMC 2026 has made a strong mark by bringing together its largest and most comprehensive tourism ecosystem to date, with more than 520 exhibitors. They include major tourism and travel groups and international organisations, as well as a number of prestigious global brands making their first appearance at the expo.
The presence of major partners from diverse markets demonstrates ITE HCMC’s growing international appeal, creating more opportunities to connect, cooperate and attract high-value visitors to Ho Chi Minh City and destinations across Vietnam.
Pham Huy Binh, Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, said a key feature of ITE HCMC 2026 is its shift from promotion towards market and business connectivity. More than 260 buyers from over 40 countries and territories are attending, providing opportunities for the city and Vietnamese destinations to meet new source markets. Regional connectivity is another highlight, helping build links to attract high-value visitor flows to Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam.
Binh added that alongside its international appeal, ITE HCMC 2026 also serves as a “common home” for 34 provinces and cities nationwide, together with leading groups in travel, accommodation, aviation, transport and tourism technology. They are joining efforts to stimulate domestic tourism and promote Vietnam to both domestic and international visitors, creating momentum for a new tourism growth pole in Ho Chi Minh City and the country.
Vietnamese businesses, in particular, have opportunities to reach high-value visitor segments, with the goal of turning promotion into markets, markets into visitor flows, and visitor flows into actual arrivals in Vietnam.
The municipal Department of Tourism expects tourism revenue to reach or exceed the target of 330 trillion VND (12.6 billion USD) during the peak year-end months, while increasing visitor spending and extending stays.
From the business perspective, Tran The Dung, General Director of Vietluxtour, said the company has brought to ITE HCMC 2026 a space blending the dynamic atmosphere of Ben Thanh Market, the tranquil beauty of Trang An and the vibrant colours of the Mekong Delta’s fruit-growing region.
Destination for business appointments
According to the organising committee, more than 21,000 B2B business appointments have been arranged at ITE HCMC 2026, enabling businesses to showcase products, seek partners, expand markets and pursue new cooperation opportunities.
Beyond its role as a trade expo, ITE HCMC 2026 continues to serve as a forum for dialogue, knowledge sharing and the promotion of regional tourism cooperation.
Doan Thi Thanh Tra, Deputy General Director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, said this is the 20th consecutive year that Saigontourist has participated in ITE HCMC, with the company achieving positive results over the years.
Over the past decade, she noted, ITE HCMC has evolved beyond a meeting place for buyers and sellers into a platform where businesses can assess market trends and develop products better suited to international demand. Through its 20 years at the expo, Saigontourist has also gained access to partners serving high-end visitors to Vietnam.
The expo also provides an opportunity for businesses to keep pace with global trends through participating partners. In recent years, its role has extended beyond attracting international visitors to becoming a platform for businesses to stimulate demand for Vietnamese tourism. The fact that almost all participating travel companies have expanded their visitor sources demonstrates the expo’s positive impact.
ITE HCMC 2026, she added, not only marks the 20-year milestone but also reflects a new approach, particularly through stronger digital transformation. For businesses, a key expectation is to innovate how they reach customers, especially by applying technology to customer engagement and sales channels.
Nguyen Loc Ha, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said the city considers connectivity and cooperation key solutions and will strengthen cooperation with international markets, airlines, and travel companies to improve the quality of visitor flows to destinations across Vietnam.
The city also hopes ITE HCMC will continue serving as a bridge connecting Vietnam with Mekong countries and international tourism markets for experience sharing and resource mobilisation, while helping develop competitive cross-border tourism products, routes and itineraries, added.
Ho Chi Minh City remains committed to facilitating investment, business and cooperation in tourism, supporting the business community, strengthening destination promotion, improving the tourism environment and enhancing its capacity to serve visitors, he stressed./.
VNA
