TAT showcases Thailand's tourism at ITE HCMC 2025 to boost Vietnamese market

Held from September 4 to 6 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, this major travel event serves as a significant step in expanding Thailand’s tourism market, while maintaining a solid foothold in existing markets and promoting two-way travel between ASEAN countries. 

It also provides an excellent platform to highlight Thailand's tourism potential to an international audience.

TAT continues to focus on the Vietnamese market with the campaign "Thái Lan, càng hiểu càng yêu" (Thailand, the more you know, the more you love), aiming to bring in 900,000 Vietnamese visitors by 2026.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of TAT, shared that the main objective of participating in the event is to expand Thailand’s tourist base by targeting new customers, especially Vietnamese tourists, while preserving existing markets and encouraging two-way travel within the ASEAN region.

ITE HCMC 2025 offers tourism industry operators the opportunity to promote their services, while also facilitating business networking opportunities with industry leaders from over 30 countries. The event is expected to attract more than 520 tourism-related businesses and over 28,000 attendees.

The opening ceremony of ITE HCMC 2025 was honoured by the presence of Mai Van Chinh, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, and attended by Urawadee Sriphiromya, the Thai Ambassador to Hanoi, and Wiraka Moodhitaporn, Thai Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City.

Thapanee also participated in the High Level Tourism Forum on "Shaping the Future of Tourism: Embracing Digital and Green Transformation," alongside senior executives from ASEAN countries. 

During the event, the TAT Governor had discussions with Phyo Zaw Soe, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Hotels and Tourism of Myanmar, to explore collaborative opportunities to promote tourism.

In this event, TAT invited six Thai tourism operators, including travel agencies, hotels, and fun & entertainment attractions, to engage in Business to Business (B2B) discussions and direct consumer sales (B2C).

Additionally, TAT organised activities to showcase Thailand’s cultural charm, such as live demonstrations of traditional arts from Phetchaburi, including gold leaf painting with fig latex and the creation of DIY rose flowers from fabric.

The event also featured a traditional Thai costume corner, offering attendees a unique experience throughout the exhibition.

From January 1 to August 27, 2025, Thailand welcomed 473,645 Vietnamese tourists, predominantly families, millennials, and MICE travellers, who tend to visit 3–4 times annually. 

Popular destinations include Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, with increasing visits to other provinces like Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Nakhon Ratchasima (Khao Yai), and Phang Nga.

Thailand is set to see continued growth from the Vietnamese market, supported by direct flight routes from five Vietnamese cities to Thailand's key destinations, along with strong economic performance in Vietnam. 

Additionally, Thailand's reputation as an LGBT-friendly destination and its ease of travel, along with no visa requirement, efficient transport systems, shopping variety, and friendly locals, continue to attract Vietnamese visitors.

TAT’s strategy includes promoting the “5 Must Do in Thailand” campaign and collaborating with airlines like AirAsia to open new routes such as Bangkok-Hai Phong. 

The campaign “Thái Lan, càng hiểu càng yêu” will help enhance Thailand's image, alongside the 50th anniversary of Thai-Vietnamese diplomatic relations in 2026. TAT aims to attract at least 900,000 Vietnamese tourists to Thailand in 2026.