A reporter from Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper had an interview with Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, on solutions for the city to affirm its position as an attractive destination in the region for tourists.
Following the administrative expansion, Ho Chi Minh City now spans more than 6,772 square kilometers and boasts a wide range of attractive tourism offerings. Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa provided an in-depth analysis of the city’s significant opportunities.
The city currently is not only the country's leading economic, financial, and service hub but also home to a rich and diverse array of tourism resources. Notably, the wards of Saigon, Ben Thanh, and Cho Lon showcase a unique blend of architectural heritage, along with major centers of commerce, finance, culture, and the arts.
Typical tourism products, including city tours, double-decker sightseeing buses, sightseeing sunset cruises, and scenic dining cruises, are rapidly developing, becoming part of the city’s unique identity.
In adjacent areas of the city, travelers are greeted with a rich and colorful tourism landscape. Binh Duong stands out with its industrial tourism, offering visits to traditional craft villages specializing in ceramics and fine woodworking. Vung Tau is known as a seaside paradise, renowned for its beaches and luxury resorts. Meanwhile, Con Dao is emerging as a compelling destination where visitors can witness sea turtles nesting at night and explore a unique blend of forest-and-sea ecotourism intertwined with spiritual heritage.
Ho Chi Minh City has identified several strategic pillars for developing its tourism sector, including improving infrastructure and service quality, with a strong emphasis on enhancing transportation connectivity. This year, the city and its surrounding areas have seen notable progress in transport infrastructure, creating favorable conditions for tourism growth.
In addition, the tourism sector is exploring the development of new products, such as scenic helicopter tours to offer the sights of the city from above, and the expansion of cruise ports. Another key focus is the robust development of the nighttime economy. Ho Chi Minh City aims to position itself as the night tourism capital of Southeast Asia.
In addition to well-known walking streets like Bui Vien and Nguyen Hue, Ho Chi Minh City is developing new nighttime food streets and themed night markets, featuring artistic performances, water shows, and light displays.
At the same time, the tourism sector is prioritizing digital transformation and international promotion. The recent Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo 2025 attracted participants from over 40 countries and territories, drawing more than 46,000 visitors and buyers.
For the first time, Ho Chi Minh City hosted the 12th General Assembly of the Tourism Promotion Organization (TPO) and was honored with the TPO BEST AWARDS 2025 for Tourism Marketing with its campaign 'Find Your Vibes.'
This recognition not only marks a proud milestone for the city but also serves as a powerful motivation for Ho Chi Minh City to continue innovating its approach and leveraging digital platforms to promote itself as a global destination.
Ho Chi Minh City aims to become a leading hub for tourism and services in the region. Over the next 10 to 15 years, the city envisions positioning itself among Asia’s most attractive urban destinations, on par with Thailand’s Bangkok, Singapore, and Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur.
This vision is entirely achievable thanks to the city’s strategic advantages, such as a central geographic location, increasingly modernized transport infrastructure, a dynamic market of over 14 million residents with strong purchasing power, and a wide range of tourism offerings. While embracing the look and energy of a modern megacity, Ho Chi Minh City continues to preserve its unique cultural and historical identity.
The tourism sector envisions Ho Chi Minh City as a vibrant, multi-faceted destination, alive both day and night, capable of meeting diverse demands ranging from cultural, ecological, and spiritual tourism to luxury leisure, sports, and high-end entertainment.
More importantly, the city is poised to serve as a major gateway for international travelers, where they can explore the rest of Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region."
With the advantages of its newly expanded space, coupled with strategic initiatives and strong support from the business community, Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector is poised to achieve significant breakthroughs in the near future.
In the first eight months of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed over 4.3 million international visitors and around 26 million domestic travelers. Total tourism revenue exceeded VND125 trillion (US$4.7 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of more than 12 percent. This is a highly positive indicator, reflecting the growing appeal and added value of the city’s tourism offerings.
In 2025, Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector aims to welcome between 8.5 and 10 million international visitors and 40 to 50 million domestic travelers, with total tourism revenue projected at VND260 trillion (US$9.8 billion)–VND290 trillion (US$11 billion). Given the current pace, the city is well on track to meet these targets.
More important is how tourism development is being spatially planned following the city's administrative expansion, a key factor that will help Ho Chi Minh City accelerate its growth. Specifically, the city aims to become a hub for hosting international events and conferences while promoting city tours, MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), river-based tourism, and nighttime tourism.
Binh Duong serves as a complementary destination with its industrial tourism and traditional craft villages. Vung Tau plays the role of a seaside retreat, while Con Dao is poised to become a standout destination on the international tourism map. All of these locations will be linked through integrated tours, allowing international visitors to explore the vibrant diversity of Southern Vietnam starting from Ho Chi Minh City.
