Attending the opening ceremony were Former State President Nguyễn Minh Triết; Deputy Prime Minister Mai Văn Chính; Former Vice State President Trương Mỹ Hoa; Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng; Chairman of the National Assembly’s Economic and Financial Committee Phan Văn Mãi; Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hồ An Phong; Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thị Thắng; Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Trần Lưu Quang; Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Được; leaders of central ministries and agencies; representatives of leaders from Vietnamese provinces and cities as well as international cities; together with more than 700 domestic and international delegates attending ITE HCMC 2025.

In his opening remarks, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng emphasized that after 18 successful editions, the 19th ITE HCMC has reached a new height in both scale and presentation, becoming a prestigious brand of the nation and the region, while affirming Vietnam’s increasingly solid position on the international tourism map.
Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng highly appreciated the efforts of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and its partners in creating a professional platform where businesses and localities come together to promote the sustainable development of the tourism industry. In particular, this year, the participation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Health has further highlighted the identity of Vietnamese tourism products, while strengthening the connection between the business community and the tourism sector in promoting “on-the-spot export,” thereby realizing the 8% growth target set by the Resolution of the Party and the State.

A new highlight of this year’s Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo also lies in its role as a bridge, helping countries seek solutions for tourism development, connect global destinations, and jointly create diverse and attractive products to meet the growing demands of travelers. The expo is expected to welcome around 28,000 visitors and open up 12,600 business matching appointments – a dynamic and effective space that will significantly contribute to attracting international tourists to Vietnam.

With the theme “Green Connection – Sustainable Development,” Minister Nguyễn Văn Hùng expressed his confidence that ITE HCMC 2025 will not only bring a fulfilling experience to visitors and international friends, but also ignite the expectations of domestic and foreign businesses for a future of strong and long-term cooperation.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thị Thắng stated that this is the first time central and local authorities, led by Ho Chi Minh City, have jointly organized a series of events that simultaneously promote tourism, Vietnamese products, and enterprises, as well as investment opportunities and the development of production–supply chains to international partners and businesses.

Ms. Phan Thị Thắng emphasized that the harmonious combination of activities has created a synergistic appeal, attracting thousands of international business delegations to attend ITE HCMC 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City as well as in other locations across the country. This event is not only a showcase of Vietnam’s cultural beauty, heritage, and attractive tourism products but also a bridge for tourism to become a driving force for trade and investment. “We believe that tourism will become a driving force for trade and investment; and trade and investment will become the foundation for economic prosperity,” Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Phan Thị Thắng expressed her hope.

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyễn Văn Dũng also stated that after merging with Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province and Bình Dương Province, Ho Chi Minh City now covers an area of 6,773 km², equivalent to 2.04% of the country’s total area. Ho Chi Minh City has become a mega-city – the largest economic, financial, logistics, trade, service, and tourism center in the country, with a population of nearly 14 million people. The city currently accounts for 26.3% of the nation’s total retail sales of goods and services, and more than VND 200,000 billion in tourism revenue, equivalent to 25% of the national figure.

According to Mr. Nguyễn Văn Dũng, this is the first time the three major streams of tourism, trade, and international integration have been connected into a large-scale and synchronized series of events, reflecting close inter-level and inter-sectoral coordination. Today’s event is not only a “convergence” but also an intersection of Ho Chi Minh City’s capacity and aspiration for development.

"The simultaneous organization of three events is a symbol of harmony in strategy and development vision. It is also proof of Ho Chi Minh City’s commitment: always accompanying, creating the most favorable environment for domestic and international enterprises to grow together, spread good values together, and jointly build a green, sustainable, and innovative economic–tourism–trade ecosystem," Mr. Dũng emphasized.

The ITE HCMC 2025 fair, with the theme “Sustainable Tourism – Vibrant Experiences”, gathers more than 520 exhibitors, 250 high-level international buyers from 32 countries, and is expected to welcome 30,000 visitors. The event is not only a venue for display and promotion but also a forum for in-depth discussions on digital transformation, green transition, and tourism startups.

In addition, the 2025 Export Forum and the “International Goods Supply Chain Connection” event continue to serve as a prestigious bridge between Vietnamese businesses and more than 300 buying delegations from 60 countries and territories. Over 12,000 products, 400 Vietnamese enterprises, along with thousands of B2B connections, will open opportunities for substantive cooperation, contributing to market diversification and deeper participation in the global value chain – from agricultural products, processed foods to consumer industrial goods and even supporting industries, personal electronic devices, and more.

In parallel with the exhibition activities, ITE HCMC 2025 also brings a series of important professional programs such as: the High-level Tourism Forum with the theme of digital transformation and green transition; the 2025 National Tour Operators Conference; the Seminar on Digital Transformation – The Foundation for Sustainable Tourism Development; the Seminar on Reshaping Destination Branding Strategies in the New Context: Connection – Differentiation – Data; the Seminar on the Rise of the National Brand: The Breakthrough Role of Tourism; the Seminar on Clean Energy and Sustainable Tourism Development; the series of talk shows on Tourism Startup and Innovation in Ho Chi Minh City with the theme “Smart Destination, Vibrant Journey”...

The opening ceremony of the three major events – the Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Export Forum 2025, and the “International Goods Supply Chain Connection 2025” event – is a special milestone in the integration and development journey of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam. These are not only international-scale events but also vivid evidence of the spirit of innovation and proactive integration that Ho Chi Minh City is striving to foster in its role as the country’s economic–financial, trade–tourism center.

Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism