From cruises and culture to golfing and getting around the city, premium experiences matter in MICE planning.
Vietnam’s MICE proposition is broadening, from convention-scale corporate groups to smaller incentives willing to pay for personalised, experience-led programmes.
For Singapore-based Travel Media, a travel and event management company, demand sits at the larger end. General manager Sherry Koh attended ITE HCMC 2026 seeking specialist DMCs and hotels with convention halls for 300 to 1,000 attendees, reflecting clients such as banks, property firms and insurers that often travel in sizeable groups.
Koh sees strong demand for Vietnam, which retains an advantage in delivering five-star experiences at competitive prices. Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi remain core choices, while Sapa, Da Lat, Da Nang and Phu Quoc appeal for scenic, premium programmes. She said affordability opens the door, but value-adds, flexibility and luxury stays paired with curated experiences help close the deal.
Scale meets curation
Virtuoso represents a different layer of demand. As a global luxury travel agency network, its perspective skews towards premium, experiential travel. It is seeing stronger interest in Vietnam for incentives and meetings, typically for groups of 30 to 100.
“Demand is increasingly focused on experiences that combine business objectives with cultural immersion, local gastronomy, wellness and unique destination experiences,” said Tom Lou, Virtuoso’s Account Manager, Memberships, North & South East Asia. For incentives, he added, clients want personalised amenities and authentic activities that feel “highly curated rather than simply just another corporate event”.
Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi remain important for connectivity and hotel infrastructure, while Da Nang and Hoi An draw incentive business through their resort and cultural mix. Phu Quoc is also gaining interest as new properties expand its resort offering.
Germany-based EVINTRA, a global B2B MICE and tourism network, offers a broader view of international sourcing. It sees strongest momentum in incentive travel, with companies favouring groups of 20 to 50 and “prioritising exclusivity and engagement over headcount”.
“Vietnam is no longer positioned purely as a value destination — buyers are now willing to pay for premium, provided the experience justifies it,” said Andreas Tholken, CEO & Founder. Buyers increasingly want programmes combining business with Ha Long Bay cruises, Hoi An heritage experiences and golf, rather than a “generic ballroom-and-gala format”.
Together, the perspectives add a demand-side layer to Vietnam’s wider MICE growth trajectory: price remains an advantage, but increasingly has to sit alongside premium accommodation, personalised service and distinctive experiences.
Execution is the next test
At the larger group end, HCMC has already converted some demand into arrivals. From 1 to 9 May, the city welcomed an 890-member incentive group from Allianz Indonesia, organised by Viking Travel, one of the first major international MICE groups to arrive after the city’s new support scheme was introduced. It is an early example of HCMC’s higher-value MICE pitch translating into business.
Buyers also identified gaps that could determine future conversion. Virtuoso highlighted international air connectivity, premium hotel and event infrastructure, service consistency and seamless destination management. EVINTRA pointed to convention and accommodation capacity in some regions and coordination between venues, transport and hotels. “The fundamentals – culture, value, diversity of destinations – are genuinely strong; execution at scale is the remaining gap,” said Tholken.
As MICE takes a more prominent place in Vietnam’s tourism strategy, the opportunity is to serve both ends well: reliable scale for major corporate groups and high-touch, customised experiences for premium incentive clients.