Saigon to hold biggest ever tourism fair this September

The 13th annual International Tourism Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) will take place in HCMC's District 7 from September 7-9, and promises to be the biggest tourism event ever held in the city.

Bui Ta Hoang Vu, a senior tourism official, said this year's ITE will feature 300 exhibitors compared to 280 last year, and 20 percent more foreign participants from 50 markets around the world.

Visitors will be able to check out tourism products and services in HCMC, Vietnam and other participating countries, get incentive tours, gifts and enjoy entertainment shows.

ITE 2016 attracted 26,000 visitors and more than 3,600 deals were signed. The organizers, the tourism ministry and the local government expect those figures to rise by 15 percent this year.

Foreign arrivals to HCMC hit more than 376,000 in the first half of this year, up 16 percent over the same period last year.

The city aims to attract six million foreign visitors this year after luring 5.2 million last year.