The figures were announced at a conference held on July 3 in Vung Tau Ward, Ho Chi Minh City to review the department's performance in cultural heritage preservation during the first half of 2026 and outline priorities for the remainder of the year.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, museums under its management received 2,168,619 visitors between January and June, including 1,483,502 domestic visitors, up 43 percent year-on-year, and 685,117 international visitors, an increase of 6 percent. Privately operated museums attracted more than 92,000 visitors, more than doubling from the same period last year.
The department said it had made significant progress in preserving and promoting the city's cultural heritage, while also advancing digital transformation initiatives and improving the policy framework for the sector.
During the first half of the year, authorities processed 29 administrative applications related to cultural heritage and advised the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on issuing a 2026–2030 cultural heritage preservation and promotion plan.
The department is also drafting regulations on the management and protection of cultural heritage, museum and heritage site admission fees, and the decentralization of heritage site management following recent administrative restructuring.
Museums under the department collected 1,293 artifacts, organized 32 thematic exhibitions and 60 traveling exhibitions, while expanding heritage education programs, scientific research and digital initiatives.
Efforts to preserve both tangible and intangible cultural heritage also continued through heritage inventories, the preparation of dossiers for site recognition, and programs to safeguard intangible cultural heritage.
In the second half of 2026, the department plans to complete the digitization of 2D data for all officially recognized heritage sites, continue inventories of intangible cultural heritage, documentary heritage and historical sites, and accelerate restoration and conservation projects.
The department will also continue finalizing the nomination dossier for the Cu Chi Tunnels for submission to UNESCO for inclusion on the Tentative List for World Heritage nomination.
