Ho Chi Minh City tourism accelerates

For many years, Ho Chi Minh City has always been considered the "locomotive" of tourism in the country. However, when a series of direct international flights were opened to famous destinations such as Phu Quoc, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Quang Ninh..., there was a time when public opinion was worried that the city would "lose tourists". However, the reality was completely opposite.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, most international tourists entered Ho Chi Minh City before traveling to other provinces and cities. However, as the trend of direct flights increased sharply, the risk of the city being "overtaken" became a hot topic. Many opinions said that if Ho Chi Minh City only stopped at the advantage of transit, it might be difficult to retain international visitors for a long time.

However, the reality of development in recent years shows the opposite: Ho Chi Minh City not only maintains its central role but also accelerates strongly, making a breakthrough in revenue and number of visitors, despite increasingly fierce competitive pressure.

The numbers speak for themselves.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism , total tourism revenue in the first 8 months of 2025 reached about 161,887 billion VND, an increase of 31.2% over the same period in 2024. In August alone, revenue reached 21,582 billion VND, an increase of 40.4% over the same period.

In terms of visitors, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed more than 5.16 million international visitors in 8 months, up nearly 50% over the same period last year; domestic visitors reached more than 25.1 million, up 7.5%. Previously, after a month of expanding administrative boundaries, merging with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry recorded 22,000 billion VND in revenue in July, up 45% over the same period last year.

This expansion also helps the city form a more diverse tourism resource ecosystem, with 681 potential tourist destinations: 366 in the old Ho Chi Minh City, 230 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau and 85 in Binh Duong, including cultural urban areas, historical sites, sea, forests, industry, craft villages and resorts.

The city center has many commercial areas to serve the shopping and entertainment needs of tourists.

PHOTO: LE NAM

Ho Chi Minh City aims to welcome 8.5-10 million international visitors, 45 million domestic visitors and generate VND260 trillion in revenue by the end of 2025. With the current growth rate, experts say the city is fully capable of achieving and even exceeding the target.

Mr. Shaun Pham, Founder and CEO of Spotlight Asia, who has worked in parallel in Thailand and Vietnam for many years, shared: "I have organized many delegations of journalists, guests and KOLs from Thailand to experience Vietnam. What makes me proud is that most of them are impressed with Vietnam tourism. Whether it is their first time or returning after many years, they all feel the obvious change and development. A big surprise is the price. From transportation, shopping to dining, everything is very affordable but of good quality. Meanwhile, the cost of traveling in Thailand is increasing, creating great pressure. This is an advantage that helps Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, become an attractive destination."

According to Mr. Shaun Pham, in addition to delicious and diverse cuisine , many Thai tourists also come to Ho Chi Minh City to shop for clothes from Vietnamese designer brands. The city is not only attractive for its cuisine, but is also emerging as a new creative center in the region. The multi-dimensional appeal of Ho Chi Minh City is not only in pure tourism but also in the dynamism of urban life, consumer culture and creativity.

Why does Ho Chi Minh City attract tourists?

Ho Chi Minh City is still the largest aviation gateway in the country, with Tan Son Nhat airport and soon Long Thanh airport. Most international visitors choose the city as their first destination before moving on to the West, Da Lat or Nha Trang… creating a spillover effect for the entire region.

Foreign tourists visit the city

PHOTO: LE NAM

After expansion, the city possesses valuable and diverse resources with Vung Tau and Con Dao beaches, Can Gio mangrove forests, Binh Chau hot springs, Binh Duong - Thu Duc ecological gardens, and a system of handicraft villages. When combined with its inherent strengths in architecture, culture, cuisine and urban lifestyle, Ho Chi Minh City can create a multi-themed tourism product ecosystem.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Man, Deputy General Director of Vina Group International Tourism Joint Stock Company, commented: Ho Chi Minh City currently possesses extremely diverse tangible and intangible resources, which are increasingly exploited to match world trends and market demand. This diversity is the foundation for forming a rich tourism product system, from resorts, cultural experiences, to MICE and medical tourism.

Sharing the same view, MSc. Ha Quach (Vincent), lecturer in tourism and hotel management at RMIT University Vietnam, further analyzed: The important thing is that Ho Chi Minh City does not stand still. The city constantly innovates its products: from night tourism, cuisine, cultural and entertainment events and river tourism. After the merger, Ho Chi Minh City owns more islands, garden ecology, craft villages... turning the city from a "stop-over" urban area into a diverse destination ecosystem. That is the reason why the revenue in 8 months has reached over 161,000 billion VND, an increase of more than 30% over the same period.

From a business perspective, Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Marketing and Communications Director of Vietluxtour, confirmed: "Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have received a lot of positive feedback from customers and international partners. The common point is that Ho Chi Minh City is not only an international trade gateway but also a tourist destination with its own identity, rich in energy and constantly innovating. Tourists are impressed with the keywords "Saigon" and "HCM City" associated with culture, history, and cuisine. This is the foundation that helps the city maintain its leading position and create impressive growth figures."

Terminal T3 of Tan Son Nhat airport is spacious and modern

PHOTO: LE NAM

"Although many localities have developed direct flights, Ho Chi Minh City still retains its appeal thanks to the combination of traditional and modern values. The expansion with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau helps form a diverse tourism area, from vibrant urban areas, MICE to beach resorts, forecast to bring 30% revenue growth in 2025," analyzed Master Ha Quach (Vincent).

Besides, Ho Chi Minh City is always bustling with festivals, events and nightlife such as the Ao Dai Festival, the River Festival, the ITE International Tourism Fair..., not only promoting the brand but also attracting tourists to come back many times.

According to experts, after Covid-19, international visitors tend to choose big cities to ensure safety, many services and opportunities to combine work and leisure. Ho Chi Minh City is a typical destination of this trend. Combined with efforts to improve, from the fear of losing visitors, Ho Chi Minh City has proven its strong attraction with impressive growth figures.

With its role as an international gateway, diverse product ecosystem, modern infrastructure and unique culinary culture, the city is rising to affirm its position as a leading tourist center in the region.

Ho Chi Minh City currently has nearly 90 4-5 star hotels with more than 18,000 rooms, along with many large-scale exhibition and convention centers such as SECC (Tan My Ward), WTC Expo Binh Duong, The Grand Ho Tram Strip... This is a clear advantage to attract MICE (business and tourism) guests, business travelers and international events.

Source: https://ttbc-hcm.gov.vn/du-lich-tp-hcm-tang-toc-1019696.html