Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector is entering a phase of strong growth, with performance improving year after year, and new tourism products are being developed to enhance visitor experiences and attract more international travellers.
Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Pham Huy Binh said the city is shifting its focus from traditional sightseeing tours to a more distinctive experience-based tourism ecosystem that strengthens regional connectivity and leaves a strong destination impression.
According to him, riverine tourism has been identified as a key experiential axis. One of the new routes under consideration is a speedboat journey from Tan Cang Wharf to Cu Chi. Along the route, visitors could stop at Trung An fruit village, watch martial arts performances, or cycle through agricultural cultural spaces.
The itinerary may also connect with an over-30-year-old dairy farm, the Tuong Binh Hiep – Dinh Hoa lacquerware craft village and the Dan Xay eco-tourism area, forming a culturally rich chain of riverine and craft village experiences.
At the same time, helicopter tours are being positioned as a signature high-end tourism product aimed at high-spending travellers, business visitors and MICE groups. The product is expected not only to offer a new perspective of the city but also to create strong promotional effects for Ho Chi Minh City on international media channels.
Binh noted that these directions will help tap the diverse potential of the city following its expanded administrative boundary, creating new development space for tourism.
Regarding the city’s ambition to become a “night-time tourism capital” of Southeast Asia, he said Ho Chi Minh City is shaping its night-time tourism around three pillars: cuisine, entertainment and performing arts. Food streets, themed night markets, outdoor performances, musical fountains and light shows are among the initiatives already introduced.
Along the Saigon River, night-time river cruises, restaurant boats and evening water bus services are attracting increasing numbers of visitors. The potential of river-based tourism, especially night tourism, remains significant, the official remarked.
He pointed out that during its most recent edition, the Ho Chi Minh City River Festival attracted about 4.5 million participants in around ten days and generated more than 4.2 trillion VND (160 million USD) in tourism and service revenue. In early March, the city also hosted the 12th Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival, which featured artistic Ao Dai performances, heritage walking tours, light installations, outdoor stages and food and cultural experience stations.
These events were designed to extend visitor stays, increase average spending and position Ho Chi Minh City as a distinctive festival and event destination in the region.
Binh aknowledged that the city’s strategy is not to replicate other models in major tourism hubs such as Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, but to maximise its own local advantages.
He said the city is focusing on three priorities. The first is restructuring tourism products along three axes, including the urban centre, suburban areas and regional connections. The inner city will serve as the hub for city tours, MICE tourism, riverine tourism and night-time activities, while suburban areas will link ecological sites, craft villages and agricultural tourism destinations. Longer journeys may extend to coastal and island places such as Con Dao.
The second priority is improving service quality. Ho Chi Minh City currently has more than 7,200 tourism enterprises, nearly 9,540 tour guides and about 808 resources that could be developed into tourist destinations. Standardising services, from accommodation and cuisine to infrastructure and service skills, is considered essential to delivering consistent and memorable visitor experiences.
The third priority is expanding international promotion. In 2026, the city plans to organise a range of major promotional activities, including the Ao Dai Festival, the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City and several famtrip and presstrip programmes.
It will also participate in international tourism events such as the ASEAN Tourism Forum and the TRAVEX travel fair, while conducting promotion programmes in Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye, according to the director./.
