It will compete with Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Seoul, and Singapore as the regions’ top destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions.

The winner will be determined by voting by industry professionals, media and consumers until September 14 at the World MICE Awards website.

The winner will be awarded at the World MICE Awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Dubai on November 1.

Last year, at the inaugural awards, HCMC had won in the category.

MICE tourism has expanded quickly in Vietnam in recent years.

HCMC received more than 8.6 million foreign visitors in 2019, up 13 percent from the previous year.

The business hub also entered the list of 10 most preferred business destinations in the Asia-Pacific region drawn up earlier this year by U.S.-owned property consultancy CBRE.

It has seen a surge in interest in the last five years thanks to Vietnam’s robust economic growth, and foreign investors, mainly from Japan, South Korea and Singapore, becoming interested in its business environment, CBRE added.