HÀ NỘI – The 20th International Travel Expo, Hồ Chí Minh City (ITE HCMC 2026), hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the HCM City People’s Committee, will be organised by the HCM City Department of Tourism from August 27 to 29 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre (SECC).

The event, themed 'Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations', will feature a series of side activities at hotels, conference centres, and other destinations across Hồ Chí Minh City.

At a recent press conference held in Hà Nội in the framework of the Vietnam International Travel Mart (VITM), Lê Trương Hiền Hòa, Deputy Director of the Hồ Chí Minh City Department of Tourism, stated: “ITE HCMC 2026 marks the 20-year milestone of formation and development. It is not only an annual trade event but also a ‘strategic meeting point’ for management agencies, businesses, promotion organisations, and international buyers.

Hồ Chí Minh City has many distinctive tourism products to attract both domestic and international visitors. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Tuyết

“The expo aims to build a borderless tourism ecosystem, where digital technology and artificial intelligence are integrated with cultural and heritage values, creating practical and flexible connections among stakeholders in the tourism value chain. It also reflects the determination to elevate the position of Hồ Chí Minh City in particular, and Việt Nam’s tourism in general, on the global tourism map," he said.

ITE HCMC 2026 is expected to gather more than 520 exhibitors, 34 localities across Việt Nam, and 260 international buyers from over 32 countries and territories, an increase of 10 per cent compared to 2025. The event is projected to attract over 30,000 visitors (up 15 per cent) and facilitate around 20,050 B2B meetings, helping strengthen connections and expand international cooperation.

The expo is expected to serve as a “lever” to boost strategies for expanding international visitor markets through trade networking, promotion, and in-depth communications activities, supporting businesses in broadening partnerships and improving the quality of inbound tourism.

In addition to exhibition and B2B networking activities, this year’s series of professional events are designed for a wide-ranging impact. Highlights include a High-level Tourism Forum discussing smart destination management, green infrastructure development, renewable energy, and circular economy models in tourism; the 8th Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and the 8th Cambodia–Laos–Myanmar–Việt Nam (CLMV) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting; the 7th Ayeyawady–Chao Phraya–Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting; and the 1st Cambodia–Laos–Việt Nam (CLV) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting.

In addition, there will be destination-survey programmes for the press and international buyers, as well as a public day featuring thousands of discounted tour packages combined with multicultural exchange activities, helping promote Việt Nam’s destinations to a wide range of visitors. — VNS