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Ho Chi Minh City came alive on August 26, 2026, as the 20th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2026) officially kicked off its opening-day activities. This year’s edition, themed “Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations,” marks the milestone of two decades since ITE HCMC first launched, and by all accounts it is set to be the largest edition in the event’s history — welcoming more than 520 exhibitors and 260 high-level international buyers from over 40 countries and territories, along with tens of thousands of trade appointments over the three-day fair. An Vui Travel was proud to be part of this landmark occasion, joining the Hanoi tourism delegation at the Hanoi Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC).
Kicking Off ITE HCMC 2026 with Global Connections
August 26 was a particularly busy day for the Hanoi tourism delegation at the largest B2B networking event in the Mekong Delta — ITE HCMC 2026. In the morning, before the official opening ceremony, organizers held a Buyers–Sellers Speed Dating session. This gave sponsors, exhibitors, hosted buyers, and visitors like An Vui Travel the chance to meet potential international partners face-to-face and identify the right matches ahead of the more formal B2B business-matching sessions scheduled for the following two days.
At the heart of Hanoi’s presence this year is a shared tourism pavilion, built around the theme “Hanoi – A Heritage, Connected, and Sustainable Destination.” We at An Vui Travel are honored to showcase our branding at Booth 36 within this pavilion, standing alongside other travel enterprises and accommodation providers representing the capital. Throughout the day, our booth welcomed a steady stream of visitors, buyers, and members of the international press eager to learn more about what Hanoi and the surrounding region have to offer beyond the well-trodden tourist trail.
Sources:
- VnEconomy – “ITE HCMC 2026: Hội chợ Du lịch quốc tế tại TP.Hồ Chí Minh,” https://vneconomy.vn/sap-dien-ra-hoi-cho-du-lich-quoc-te-tpho-chi-minh-ite-hcmc-2026.htm
- ITE HCMC Official Press Release – “ITE HCMC 2026 tăng tốc về đích,” https://vi.itehcmc.travel/thong-cao-bao-chi-ite-hcmc-2026-tang-toc-ve-dich-san-sang-cho-mot-mua-hoi-cho-du-lich-quoc-te-lon-nhat-tu-truoc-den-nay-tai-viet-nam/
Sparking Global Partnerships at the Speed Dating Session
The energy at the Speed Dating Session on opening day reflected the spirit of the fair itself: genuine, face-to-face conversation rather than transactional pitching. An Vui Travel team with Mr Jerry Nguyen (Chief Executive Officer) and Ms Alice Tran ( Tour Operation Manager) spent the day speaking directly with international buyers, tour operators, and destination representatives. We introduce our unique itineraries, valuable experiences and business’s feedbacks that capture what makes An Vui Travel‘s approach distinct. These conversations are exactly the kind of connection ITE HCMC is designed to create, and they set the tone for the more structured B2B meetings scheduled over the coming days.
Slow Travel and Deep Local Experiences: A Shared Direction
One theme came up again and again in our conversations with hosted buyers on opening day: a growing appetite among international travelers for slow travel and deep local experiences. Almost hosted buyers told us that their clients are moving away from packed, checklist-style itineraries and instead asking for journeys that let them linger — staying longer in one place, eating where locals eat, and engaging directly with the communities and craftspeople who define a destination’s character.
This is a trend An Vui Travel has been building toward for some time, and it was rewarding to hear it validated so directly by the buyers we met. Our itineraries are designed around unhurried pacing, small-group or private travel, and genuine interaction with local families, artisans, and villages rather than staged performances. When we described these products including quiet mornings in rural communes, home-cooked meals with local families, multi-day treks through less-visited regions, several buyers responded with real enthusiasm, noting that this is precisely the kind of product their clients have been asking for but struggling to find.
These conversations did more than confirm a market trend; they opened the door to concrete future collaboration. A number of buyers requested detailed itineraries and follow-up materials, and we look forward to continuing these discussions during the formal B2B business-matching sessions on August 27 and 28, when structured appointments will allow for deeper conversations about partnership opportunities, group sizes, and seasonal planning.
🔗 Let’s connect and grow together!
Headquarters / Sales Hub: 5th Floor, H&N Building, 329, 331 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam.
Operation Offices: Vietnam (Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh), Laos (Vientiane), Cambodia (Siem Reap), Myanmar (Yangon), Thailand (Bangkok).
#AnVuiTravel #ITEHCMC #B2BEvent
