The Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo is in its 20th edition this year.
Ho Chi Minh City will host the 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2026) from 27 to 29 August 2026 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center, marking the largest edition of the event since it was first held in 2005.
Under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the expo is jointly organised by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism. It is implemented by the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, C.I.S Vietnam Advertising & Exhibition Joint Stock Company and related agencies.
The three-day tourism trade event, held under the theme “Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations”, is expected to gather more than 520 exhibitors and brands, 34 Vietnamese provinces and cities, 260 international buyers from more than 40 countries and territories, about 600 international delegates, 50 high-level delegations, around 30,000 visitors and 60 international media outlets.
Hosted buyers and business matching
A key feature of ITE HCMC 2026 is its Hosted Buyers Programme, which the organisers describe as the only programme of its kind in Vietnam to systematically select and host qualified international tourism buyers. This year’s programme will include buyers from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Oceania, representing tourism groups and companies including TUI Group, DERTOUR, American Express Global Business Travel, Flight Centre Travel Group, Trip.com Group, Education First, Luxury Escapes and others.
The business format will include a Buyers-Sellers Speed Dating session on 26 August, followed by B2B Business Matching on 27 and 28 August. More than 21,000 appointments have been pre-scheduled based on product portfolios, target markets and partnership needs. Pre- and post-event destination familiarisation tours will also be organised for international buyers and media.
New ministerial meetings and conference agenda
The 20th edition will also feature several new or expanded components. Ho Chi Minh City will host three tourism ministers’ meetings connected to Mekong subregional cooperation frameworks, including the first Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Tourism Ministers’ Meeting, the 7th ACMECS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting and the 8th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Tourism Ministers’ Meeting. Senior officials’ meetings and working group meetings will be held ahead of the ministerial sessions.
The conference programme will cover tourism policy, destination branding, artificial intelligence, medical tourism, sustainable development, digital travel tools and tourism technology startups. Participating organisations and companies include UN Tourism, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Google, Mastercard, EuroCham and the Korea Tourism Organization.
Open to public
Public-facing activities will run alongside the trade programme from the afternoon of 27 August to 29 August, with destination showcases, travel promotions, cultural performances, culinary activities, OCOP products and local specialties.
The expo has received support from a wide range of sponsors and partners, including diamond sponsors Airports Corporation of Vietnam, Nhi Minh Long Red Reishi Mushroom Company, Saigontourist Group, Vietnam Airlines and GEM Center. Other supporters include hotels, airlines, transport companies, food and beverage partners, media organisations and tourism service providers.