The city received awards for Asia’s Leading Business Travel Destination and Asia’s Leading Festival and Event Destination for the fourth consecutive year. Additionally, the HCMC Department of Tourism was recognized as Asia’s Leading City Tourist Board for the third year in a row. Vung Tau was awarded the title of Asia’s Leading Coastal City Break Destination.
The recognition highlights the city’s growing international appeal and innovation in tourism development. From 2020 to 2025, its tourism sector has undergone a significant transformation, focusing on product quality, service standards, and a strong city branding strategy that has garnered multiple global honors.
The city has also become a key host for major international events such as the Tourism Promotion Organisation for Global Cities (TPO) General Assembly.
As one of Vietnam’s leading economic pillars, tourism has been central to HCMC’s growth strategy. The city has revitalized its tourism offerings, introduced new tours and routes, and enhanced existing sojourns. Notable annual events such as the HCMC International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC), the Ao Dai Festival, the River Festival, and the HCMC Marathon have successfully linked Vietnam’s tourism with regional and global markets.
The 2024 HCMC River Festival brought further international acclaim, winning two gold awards at the 2025 International Business Awards in Portugal for Art, Entertainment, and Public Festival and Cultural Event. This marked a rare double win for a Vietnamese event on the global stage.
In addition, the city’s campaign “Find Your Vibes” won the TPO Best Tourism Marketing Award 2025, underscoring its creative approach to destination promotion.
Beyond tourism, the city was ranked second globally among cities with the highest resident retention rate, surpassing Singapore, Sydney, and Berlin, according to the City Pulse 2025 survey by the US-based Gensler Research Institute.
