Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà delivers a speech at the high-level tourism forum held in HCM City on August 27. Photo courtesy of the organiser

HCM CITY — More than 300 experts and tourism executives shared expertise and proposed initiatives to develop MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism at a high-level forum in HCM City on Thursday.

Jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the HCM City People’s Committee, the forum, titled “MICE Tourism in the New Era: Sustainability – Connectivity – Opportunity”, brought together senior government officials, ministers, ASEAN tourism delegation heads, diplomatic representatives, international organisations, industry associations, and leading domestic and global enterprises.

Discussions focused on structural shifts in the global MICE sector, sustainable development, digital integration, policy mechanisms, and public-private partnership models.

Speaking at the forum, Deputy Prime Minister Phạm Thị Thanh Trà emphasised the need to build a modern, interconnected, and internationally competitive MICE ecosystem.

She said Việt Nam wants not only to host large events but also become a reliable partner and responsible member.

“We want to actively help shape global MICE development trends toward a greener, smarter, more creative, and more sustainable future.”

She said global tourism is rapidly shifting towards quality, innovation, connectivity, and sustainability, with MICE serving not merely as a high-value tourism product but also as a bridge for trade, investment, knowledge, technology, and culture.

Developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector remains a consistent policy in Việt Nam, she said.

In this new era of development, MICE must be positioned as a strategic tourism product, targeting high-spending visitors while creating momentum for trade, investment, and national competitiveness.

She ordered ministries, sectors, and localities to focus on improving institutions, synchronising infrastructure, and enhancing MICE competitiveness.

MICE should be integrated with culture, heritage, gastronomy, the night-time economy, coastal tourism, and wellness tourism to add value, she said.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism must develop and issue national green MICE standards aligned with international benchmarks, she said.

The opening ceremony of the 20th HCM City International Travel Expo being held from August 27 to 29. Photo courtesy of the organiser

She also asked authorities to promote the application of artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and digital technology in event management, operations, and destination promotion, while developing professional human resources and competitive enterprises that participate deeper in regional and global MICE value chains.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Lâm Thị Phương Thanh said travellers are increasingly seeking quality experiences, personalisation, technology-enabled services, health and wellbeing, culture, and sustainable development.

"Destinations are no longer competing solely on natural resources or price, but on service quality, innovation, connectivity, and their ability to create distinctive value," Thanh said.

Reports from reputable international research organisations indicate that the global MICE and business travel market is entering a period of strong acceleration, is projected to exceed US$1.8 trillion in 2026, and reach some $2.4 trillion by 2031, she said.

MICE travellers typically spend three to six times more than conventional tourists, stay longer, and, most importantly, have the capacity to activate a broad value chain encompassing accommodation, aviation, transportation, food and beverage, communications, technology, and other service sectors, she said.

In Việt Nam, the MICE market is approaching $6 billion, making a significant contribution to the hundreds of trillions of Vietnamese dong in total tourism revenue, she said.

MICE not only generates tourism revenues, but also creates opportunities, strengthens connections, and contributes to the positioning and enhancement of destination brands, she said.

Visitors explore tourism products at the 20th HCM City International Travel Expo being held in HCM City from August 27 to 29. —VNS Thu Hằng

Therefore, MICE is increasingly recognised as an important driver for raising the added value, quality, and international competitiveness of the tourism sector, she added.

The forum was held as part of the 20th HCM City International Travel Expo, which opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre on August 27.

The expo has brought together more than 520 exhibitors from more than 40 countries and territories, along with 260 international hosted buyers from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South Asia, and the Middle East.

Cities and provinces across the country and enterprises in travel, accommodation, aviation, and transport are showcasing tourism products and regional tourism initiatives.

Organised by the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism and the HCM City Department of Tourism, the expo will run until August 29. —VNS