As Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector continues to sustain growth momentum, it is shifting strongly from post-merger recovery to development acceleration, with a focus on restructuring destination spaces to offer diverse tourism models and attract more domestic and international visitors.
Time Out magazine also describes Vinh Khanh as a lively, energetic street that embodies the very soul of Ho Chi Minh City’s street food culture.
The mergence of Ho Chi Minh City with Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau provinces has formed a unified development zone, paving the way for a breakthrough in marine tourism and a green, smart and truly world-class coastal destination.
Meanwhile, the number of domestic tourist arrivals hit 33.08 million, fulfilling 66.2% of the year's goal. Total tourism revenue during the period reached 208.06 trillion VND, equivalent to 71.7% of this year's target of 290 trillion VND (11.02 billion USD).
The initiative aims to promote gastronomy as a core tourism product in line with the city’s tourism development strategy through 2030.
The Cai Mep–Thi Vai area has recently recorded a steady rise in international cruise arrivals, underscoring the city’s growing prominence on the regional cruise tourism map.
Tourism is identified as one of Ho Chi Minh City’s key economic pillars. To shape its brand as a “tourism city”, the local tourism sector has continuously restructured its offerings, creating new tours and routes while refreshing existing ones.
HCM City now has around 681 potential tourism resources, forming a distinctive “triangle of identity” in the southeast region: the city centre representing urban vibrancy and creativity; Binh Duong offering industrial, craft and MICE potential; and Ba Ria–Vung Tau serving as a hub for leisure and wellness.
A series of major trade and tourism connectivity events opened on September 4 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring Vietnam International Sourcing (VIS) 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Export Forum, and the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2025.
The 12th Tourism Promotion Organisation for Global Cities (TPO) General Assembly, which is taking place in HCM City, encourages environmentally friendly solutions, climate-conscious practices, and the preservation of cultural and natural heritage.
Ho Chi Minh City is no longer solely a single bustling urban destination. With the administrative merger of neighbouring Binh Duong and Ba Ria – Vung Tau provinces, the city is increasingly establishing itself as a regional hub that links travellers to a wider range of experiences from contemporary creative spaces and traditional crafts to unspoiled natural landscapes and cultural – historical landmarks.
As the four-day National Day (September 2) holiday is approaching, Ho Chi Minh City is stepping up preparations to welcome an anticipated surge of visitors, with travel companies, hotels and tourist attractions upgrading services and offering new experiences to meet growing demand.
In July alone, HCM City’s tourism revenue hit 22.4 trillion VND (985 million USD), up 45.6% year-on-year, bringing the total for the first seven months of 2025 to 140.3 trillion VND, up 29.9% and reaching 54% of the year’s target.
Active promotion at global events and hosting forums like the Asia Cruise Services Network (ACSN) conference will help to strengthen Vietnam’s position on long-term itineraries of cruise lines through 2030.
A recent report, City Pulse 2025, by Gensler Research Institute, ranked HCM City among the world’s top cities for resident retention, placing it second globally. This underscores the city's reputation as a liveable, dynamic urban centre, an image that supports efforts to attract investors, experts, and MICE travellers.
Many Vietnamese regions possess favourable conditions, including natural landscapes, climate, and rich cultural identities, to host sport events that integrate with cultural and tourism experiences.
In July alone, the city welcomed 695,930 international arrivals, surging 75.3% year-on-year. For the seven-month period, international visitors totalled 4.5 million, up 48% year-on-year.
The HCMC Global Traveller Barometer (HCMC GTB) is set to begin its pilot run in 2025 and dissect demand and travel readiness in 13 key markets.
Following the recent administrative restructuring that merged the city with the neighbouring provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau, HCM City now boasts 681 potential tourist sites. With a population of over 14 million, it has become Vietnam’s largest intra-provincial tourism market, both in scale and in diversity.
Ho Chi Minh City welcomed 3.85 million foreigners in the first half, a 44% surge year-on-year, alongside 18.3 million domestic tourists, up 7%. The influx generated nearly 117.94 trillion VND (4.53 billion USD) in revenue, a 27.3% yearly rise, putting the city nearly halfway to its annual target, according to the municipal Department of Tourism.
Running from July to August, “Find your flavour” aims to become a key offering of this summer by integrating activities such as food passports, interactive games, videos, and all-in-one culinary city tours in partnership with local travel agencies and restaurants.
Ho Chi Minh City ranked seventh among the best cities in Asia Pacific while Phu Quoc earned the third place in the top 10 islands in the region.
Vietnam Airlines will initially operate four weekly round-trip flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Bali, Indonesia on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Starting in July 2025, the carrier plans to increase frequency to daily flights to meet rising demand.
The Swiss Executive Hospitality Training (Swiss EHT) programme, implemented in the city from 2025 to 2027, aims to enhance professional competence, ethics, and international competitiveness for personnel in the tourism and hospitality sectors, thus contributing to sustainable development.
The southern region is a place marked by heroic victories that contributed to the Great Victory on April 30, 1975, leading to the reunification of the country. Today, as the region develops alongside the entire nation in a new era, the historical and cultural sites related to the just struggle are preserved by all levels of government, sectors, and citizens to maintain their value for today and the future.