On May 6, a large MICE delegation of nearly 1,000 visitors from Indonesia took part in sightseeing and tourism activities in Ho Chi Minh City.
The group is among the largest international delegations visiting the city since the beginning of the year. It consists of top agents from insurance company Allianz Indonesia participating in an incentive travel and conference program.
Tran Xuan Hung, general director of Viking Tourism JSC, one of the organisers, told Dantri/Dtinews that the delegation arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on multiple flights between May 1 and May 6.
From May 1, when the first members entered Vietnam, representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center were present at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to welcome the group with flowers and souvenirs. Many visitors expressed surprise and appreciation for the warm reception, saying they had rarely experienced similar treatment elsewhere.
The Indonesian tourists arrive at Tan Son Nhat Airport (Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism).
Notably, the Indonesian partner initially planned to organise the event in Bangkok, Thailand. However, after attending the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE) in September 2025 and learning about the city’s tourism promotion policies, the company decided to switch the destination to Vietnam.
In October 2025, Indonesian travel company Wanderlust brought representatives from Allianz Indonesia to Ho Chi Minh City for a site inspection. Following the survey trip organized by Viking Tourism, the delegation confirmed Ho Chi Minh City as the destination for the MICE programme, with an estimated scale of around 1,000 guests.
The implementation process, however, was not entirely smooth. In early May, several flights from Jakarta to Ho Chi Minh City were canceled, disrupting schedules for many groups despite prior deposits. Wanderlust had to revise plans and absorb additional costs caused by fuel surcharges and flight ticket changes.
Amid these challenges, tourism businesses in Ho Chi Minh City, including travel agencies, hotels, restaurants and transportation providers, supported the delegation by maintaining service prices despite rising operational costs. According to Hung, this cooperation played an important role in ensuring the group still chose to visit the city.
The group posed for commemorative photographs at the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee headquarters (Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism).
During their stay, the visitors toured popular attractions including Independence Palace, the Ho Chi Minh City Central Post Office and the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee headquarters. They also shopped at Ben Thanh Market and Saigon Square while experiencing local cuisine.
The programme also included trips to the Mekong Delta, with destinations such as My Tho in Dong Thap Province, offering visitors experiences of Vietnam’s river culture.
Due to the large number of participants, the delegation was divided into smaller groups for transportation, with dozens of 45 seat buses operating daily. The final members are expected to leave Ho Chi Minh City around May 9.
Many Indonesian visitors said Ho Chi Minh City offered a vibrant atmosphere, diverse cuisine and reasonable prices that suited their tastes, making the trip highly enjoyable.
Indonesian visitors tour My Tho (Photo: Viking).
According to tourism industry data, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed around 3.9 million international visitors and 15.4 million domestic tourists in the first quarter of 2026, generating estimated revenue of VND 150 trillion (approximately USD 5.9 billion).
Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said the city is accelerating its MICE tourism development strategy through 2030, focusing on high spending markets, specialised tourism products, digital transformation and stronger integration of tourism service ecosystems.
