TOURISM DIPLOMACY: THREE SUBREGIONAL MEETINGS OF TOURISM MINISTERS CONVERGE IN HO CHI MINH CITY
A major highlight of ITE HCMC 2026 is Ho Chi Minh City’s simultaneous hosting of three Tourism Ministers’ Meetings of Mekong subregional cooperation frameworks, further reaffirming the city’s role as a regional hub for tourism cooperation and connectivity, and as a meeting point between government-to-government diplomacy and tourism trade promotion.
The high-level meetings taking place in conjunction with the Expo include:
✔ 1st Cambodia–Laos–Viet Nam (CLV) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (afternoon of 26 August 2026): The inaugural Tourism Ministers’ Meeting under the CLV cooperation framework will focus on directions for strengthening tourism linkages, developing joint tourism products and promoting visitor exchanges among the three countries, followed by a press conference to announce the outcomes of the Meeting.
✔ 7th Ayeyawady – Chao Phraya–Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (afternoon of 27 August 2026): The Meeting will discuss initiatives to strengthen tourism cooperation within the ACMECS framework, enhance destination connectivity and promote sustainable tourism development, followed by a press conference
✔ 8th Cambodia – Laos – Myanmar – Viet Nam (CLMV) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (afternoon of 27 August 2026): The Meeting will review progress in tourism cooperation and identify strategic directions for tourism development across the subregion in the next phase, followed by a press conference.
✔ Senior Officials’ Meetings (SOMs) (26 August 2026) and Working Group Meetings (25 August 2026): These meetings will prepare key content, draft documents and cooperation initiatives for consideration at the three Tourism Ministers’ Meetings.
A SERIES OF INDUSTRY FORUMS AND CONFERENCES: FROM ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TO DESTINATION BRANDING
Alongside its high-level diplomatic engagements, ITE HCMC 2026 will bring together a distinguished lineup of international organizations, including UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), as well as global corporations and partners such as Google, Mastercard, EuroCham and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), alongside leading international research and consulting organizations.
On 27 and 28 August 2026, the Expo will dedicate the Exhibition Hall Stage and the 2nd-Floor Conference Room to a comprehensive program of bilingual Vietnamese–English forums, conferences and panel discussions, open to tourism businesses, government agencies, researchers, content creators and the media.
27 August 2026
✔ High-Level Tourism Forum – under the theme “Shaping the Future of MICE Tourism: Innovation, Sustainability and Global Connectivity.” The Forum will bring together leaders from the Government, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, alongside representatives from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Mastercard and Google.
✔ Vietnam Destination Branding Development Forum 2026 – featuring three panel discussions exploring the shift from destination promotion to destination brand management, the factors shaping destination perceptions in a changing environment, and performance measurement for destination brand development. Speakers will include representatives from MMGY Global, QUO and The Outbox Company.
✔ EuroCham Conference – under the theme “Shaping the Future of Tourism: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Medical Tourism and Sustainable Development.” The conference will explore three key topics: the application of AI in MICE tourism, medical tourism, and sustainable development linked to international visitor markets.
28 August 2026
✔ Google Session – under the theme “The Future of Travel: Driving Growth with New Google Solutions.” The session will explore the traveler journey in the age of AI, the role of YouTube in inspiring travel, and practical guidance on applying digital tools to tourism.
✔ Tourism Technology Investment & Startup Connection Day – bringing together a delegation of 11 Korean startups, introduced by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and CNTTECH, alongside investment funds and partners from the Startup World Cup ecosystem.
✔ TED x Ho Chi Minh City 2026 – under the theme “Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City,” featuring two content sessions focused on Cultural Stories and Innovation & Sustainable Tourism Development, with speakers from Vietnam and around the world.
In parallel, destinations, businesses and tourism promotion organizations will host a wide range of thematic workshops, destination presentations and networking activities throughout the Expo.
