Held in Istanbul on September 24–25, ITF 2026 brought together tourism businesses and travel professionals for two days of networking, business meetings, and tourism promotion. The International Tourism Exhibition also provided a valuable platform for Vietnamese travel businesses to connect with international B2B partners and explore new opportunities in overseas markets. This year, nine Vietnamese tourism businesses took part, with the Vietnamese booth attracting B2B partners from Türkiye, Italy, Spain, Russia, Romania, Canada, and other markets.
For Asia Pioneer DMC, however, ITF 2026 was more than simply an opportunity to showcase our products. It was two busy and fun days filled with positive energy, meaningful conversations, business opportunities, interesting challenges, and plenty of new perspectives.
Over the two days, our team held more than 50 meetings, including nearly 30 in-depth conversations focused on potential business partnerships. We also received five instant quotation requests, turning conversations at our stand into concrete opportunities to continue discussions beyond the exhibition. Beyond the immediate requests, these conversations also gave our team a better sense of the types of itineraries and services that potential partners are interested in. Discussing actual client needs face to face allowed us to explore questions around travel pace, experiences, accommodation, flexibility, and on-the-ground support in much greater detail than a standard product presentation could.
These conversations also helped us identify the questions partners are asking before they commit to developing a new destination or product. From operational reliability and response times to the ability to adapt experiences for different client profiles, the discussions gave us a more practical understanding of what a successful B2B partnership needs beyond the itinerary itself.
Beyond the Meetings: Insights from ITF 2026
Perhaps even more importantly, ITF 2026 gave us a much better understanding of the GCC and Eurasia markets. Each partner brought a different perspective shaped by their clients, business model, and experience with Southeast Asia. Conversations around travel preferences, client profiles, itinerary development, and destination expectations gave us a clearer picture of what matters when partners consider working with a local DMC. These firsthand insights are difficult to gain from market research alone and will help us better understand how to develop and present tailor-made journeys that respond to the needs of different markets.
They also gave us an opportunity to look at our own products from a different perspective. Questions and feedback from international partners can reveal new ways to present familiar destinations, highlight experiences that may be particularly relevant to specific markets, and identify areas where greater flexibility or support could make a journey work better for their clients.
Throughout the exhibition, the Asia Pioneer DMC stand attracted attention from quality buyers, visitors, and media, thanks to our bespoke travel products, heartfelt hospitality, and a lovely gift that proudly represented what we do: crafting and executing bespoke journeys across Southeast Asia.
For us, ITF 2026 was not simply about presenting destinations and itineraries. It was about introducing the people behind the journeys, understanding potential partners, and discovering where our local expertise and on-the-ground support could create value for their clients.
And beyond the business conversations, it was simply a great two days. From back-to-back meetings and spontaneous introductions to new ideas and unexpected challenges, ITF 2026 brought plenty of positive energy to our team.
We leave Istanbul with new connections, promising opportunities, and a deeper understanding of the markets we hope to develop further. A sincere thank you to everyone who visited our stand, shared their ideas, discussed potential partnerships, requested quotations, or simply stopped by for a conversation.
If we didn’t have the chance to meet at ITF 2026, we’d be happy to continue the conversation. Connect with Asia Pioneer DMC to explore partnership opportunities and discover how our local expertise, tailor-made travel design, and on-the-ground support can help you create memorable journeys across Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Let’s stay connected, and see you again at ITF 2027!
