168 wards, communes and special zones in Ho Chi Minh City work together on tourism

Saigon Ward is considered the "heart of heritage" with a series of outstanding architectural works. Photo: Phuong Lam .

After merging administrative boundaries, Ho Chi Minh City is entering a period of strong restructuring of the tourist map, opening up a new perspective on familiar wards and communes.

From administrative management units, each ward now appears as a "destination" with its own color, where the story of culture, cuisine , and lifestyle is told by the local community. If exploited properly, each ward can become a complete tourism product.

Saigon Ward is still the tourist "heart" of the city, where familiar symbols converge: Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office , Independence Palace or Ben Thanh Market. Along with the architectural heritage layer is the modern urban life, from commercial centers, entertainment areas such as The New Playground, book street, along with a series of Michelin restaurants and new creative spaces. This is the ward that most clearly demonstrates the harmony between history and contemporary life.

Leaving the center, Cho Lon ward has a completely different rhythm. The quiet Nghia An and Phuc Kien assembly halls contrast with the bustling atmosphere of the seasonally decorated streets. Rich Chinese cuisine and the newly opened night street are making Cho Lon become a cultural meeting point of the west of the city.

A day of fun in Saigon Ward takes visitors through ancient buildings to a modern lifestyle with many experiences. Photo: Phuong Lam.

Meanwhile, An Khanh ward has become a familiar "check-in coordinate" for young people who love art and a sophisticated lifestyle: riverside villas, fine-dining restaurants, boutique cafes, art galleries, bars - all creating a new pace of life, where experiences become tourism products.

In the suburbs, wards and communes are also redrawing their tourism image. The merged Vung Tau ward attracts tourists with the open Bai Sau park and Tam Thang tower - a new emerging check-in spot.

A little further away, Ho Tram commune is still the "resort capital" with a high-class coastal resort strip, suitable for the short-term vacation trend of southern tourists.

Not only changing the way of looking at destinations, Ho Chi Minh City is also promoting a new way of doing tourism. At the event connecting local authorities and the media on December 6 organized by Saigontourist Group, representatives of 168 wards and communes of Ho Chi Minh City, together with businesses and departments, discussed the tourism development strategy for the period 2025-2030.

Representatives of 168 wards and communes, along with businesses and agencies, attended the event. Photo: DVCC.

From central wards to Ho Tram commune or Con Dao special zone, the 3-party cooperation model - businesses, government, community - is considered an important key for each locality to proactively shape its identity and do tourism in its own way.

Sharing at the event, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Chairwoman of the Board of Members of Saigontourist Group, said that to reach international level, Vietnamese tourism must start from the close connection between businesses, government and community - the "golden triangle" that the unit is persistently pursuing.

According to Ms. Hoa, the cooperation with 168 wards and communes of Ho Chi Minh City and media partners is not only a story of economic growth in tourism but also related to heritage conservation, building a civilized and green tourism environment and improving the quality of life for the community.

She believes that with connectivity and innovation, along with a green tourism development orientation, Ho Chi Minh City can move closer to its goal of becoming a leading destination in Asia - a modern city that still preserves its identity, is friendly, sustainable and creative.

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