Company strengthens twin-destination push into the fast-growing Vietnamese and Mekong-region outbound market at Vietnam’s largest international travel expo
Andrew’s Travels was among the international exhibitors and industry participants at the 20th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2026), held from 27 to 29 August 2026 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), where the company promoted Sri Lanka and the Maldives as complementary twin destinations for Vietnamese and regional travellers.
The company’s participation forms part of a wider strategy to tap into Vietnam’s rapidly expanding outbound travel market and to position the Sri Lanka–Maldives combination of sun, culture, heritage and wildlife paired with island luxury as a compelling dual-centre holiday for travellers from Vietnam and the wider Mekong region.
During the expo, the Andrew’s Travels delegation held a series of trade meetings, including discussions with representatives of VietJet Air, one of Asia’s fastest-growing carriers, and a leading Maldives destination management company, exploring connectivity, packaging and joint promotional opportunities that would make travel between Vietnam, Sri Lanka and the Maldives more seamless and affordable.
Mahen Kariyawasan, Chairman Andrew’s Travels, commented saying “’Vietnam is one of Asia’s most exciting emerging source markets, and ITE HCMC gave us the perfect platform to present Sri Lanka and the Maldives to the trade. The response from buyers and airline partners was extremely encouraging, and we look forward to converting these conversations into new business for both destinations”
A landmark edition of ITE HCMC
Marking two decades since its inception in 2005, ITE HCMC 2026 was the largest edition of the expo to date. Recognised as Vietnam’s only international inbound tourism fair and the largest travel event in the Mekong sub-region, this year’s expo held under the theme “Vibrant Connections – Global Destinations” brought together more than 520 exhibitors, over 260 international buyers from more than 30 countries, and some 21,000 pre-scheduled B2B appointments across three days.
Organised under the direction of Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and jointly organised by the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the expo also featured regional Tourism Ministers’ Conferences and high-level forums on MICE tourism, digital transformation, green travel and sustainable destination management cementing its status as one of Asia’s leading tourism trade platforms.
For South Asian and Indian Ocean destinations such as Sri Lanka and the Maldives, ITE HCMC has become an increasingly important gateway to Vietnamese and Southeast Asian buyers, tour operators and airlines seeking new mid- and long-haul products for their clients.
