On the evening of August 26, the opening art program - Vietnam Night with the theme "ITE HCMC Pulse - 20 years accompanying the country" took place in Ho Chi Minh City. This is an event within the framework of the 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Tourism Fair 2026 (ITE HCMC 2026).
Speaking at the program, Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee said that this year's Vietnam Night is of special significance, marking the 50th anniversary of Saigon - Gia Dinh officially named after President Ho Chi Minh and the 20th anniversary of the formation and development of ITE HCMC. 2 milestones together show the journey of renovation, integration and expansion of connection of Ho Chi Minh City with the world.
Over 20 years, ITE HCMC has not only become a rendezvous for the international tourism industry but also contributed to fostering friendship, expanding cooperation opportunities and spreading the image of Vietnam's dynamism, affection, and friendliness to international friends. That is also the profound meaning of tourism.
We hope that when coming to Vietnam, each international friend will not only discover the scenery and rich cultural identity, but also feel the sincerity, friendliness and hospitality of the Vietnamese people" - Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc emphasized.
From the message about meetings, Vietnam Night becomes a journey telling stories about Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City - from origins, through heritage and cultural exchange, to connections towards the future. The art program is structured into 4 chapters.
The opening is the origin beat program "ITE HCMC 20 glorious years" with a tousng performance combined with a mashup of Xin chào thành phố and Ho Chi Minh City - We Are Vibrant.
From the modern pace of life, the program returns to the cultural sources in the program "Homeland Beat", taking the audience through the typical colors of the three regions of North - Central - South.
From the heritage platform, the intersection of beats brings Vietnam closer to the world through the ao dai performance with the participation of international beauty queens and models.
Closing the journey is the chapter of connecting heartbeats, depicting the image of a Vietnam confidently integrating, where culture becomes a bridge, meetings create understanding and tourism brings people closer together.
Over 2 decades of formation and development, ITE HCMC entered the 20-year milestone, continuing to affirm its position as one of the prestigious and large-scale international tourism promotion events in Vietnam and the Mekong region.
Taking place from August 27 - 29 at Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), ITE HCMC 2026 has the theme "Vibrant Connections - Global Destinations".
Compared to the early stage (2005 - 2010), it only gathered about 210 exhibition units and 120 international buyers from 18 countries. This year's Fair is expected to attract more than 520 exhibition and brand units, 260 international buyers from more than 40 countries and territories and more than 21,000 B2B trade appointments arranged in advance.
The number of trade appointments alone increased more than 8 times compared to the initial phase, affirming the increasing attraction and connectivity efficiency of ITE HCMC with the domestic and international tourism business community. This fair also gathers 34 provinces and cities and about 30,000 visitors.
