Vietnamese tourism showcases national cuisine and culture.

Tourists are increasingly interested in unique destinations that offer profound experiences in terms of cuisine and national culture.

For the 2026 summer vacation, it has been observed that tourists tend to seek out destinations that combine both nature exploration and unique local experiences.

Combining cuisine and national culture

Foreign tourists are excited to capture the unique aspects of Vietnamese cuisine.

According to Mr. Vu Ngoc Lam, Country Director of Agoda Vietnam, tourists are now more proactive and meticulous in choosing accommodation, prioritizing establishments with reputable reviews, convenient services, and culinary offerings. This shows that, in addition to verifying quality through community reviews, Vietnamese tourists are increasingly focusing on the overall experience throughout their trip. To meet tourist demands and stimulate tourism in Ho Chi Minh City, more and more travel and tourism businesses are launching innovative products, focusing on combining cuisine and national culture. These new products contribute to building the city's destination brand by being developed based on diverse local characteristics.

From a business perspective, Mr. Tran Minh Hoang, Business Director of Chao Show (Dau An Show Co., Ltd.), stated that Chao Show is a product combining traditional Vietnamese music, cuisine from all three regions of Vietnam, and modern lighting. The rustic sounds of 30 authentic Vietnamese traditional musical instruments resonate directly on stage, giving voice to the "Giang Son Cam Tu" suite through 12 contemporary works reflecting the vibrant and authentic sounds of each region. The heart of Chao Show is a collection of 30 indigenous instruments, collected, crafted, and restored by artisans from across the country – the most complete and unique collection currently in Vietnam. Along with the music, Chao Show also serves characteristic cuisine from all three regions of Vietnam, painting a beautiful picture of Vietnam through sound, images, and flavors. Mr. Hoang further informed that Chào Show not only attracts international tourists but also wins over Vietnamese people, opening up a promising direction for the preservation and promotion of national culture. From a stage in the city center, the product is gradually bringing traditional music to a global audience, demonstrating an effort to innovate the way heritage storytelling has captivated tourists.

Chào Show introduces the cuisine of the three regions of Vietnam with 9 signature Vietnamese dishes.

“Chào Show has invested in and operates an Immersive Audio system – the most advanced performance sound technology in Asia today. Therefore, no matter where you sit in the auditorium, every audience member can enjoy a vivid 3D stereo sound experience. This technology transforms traditional folk music into an unprecedented auditory experience in Vietnam, and for the first time, imbues it with the depth of 21st-century sound,” Mr. Hoang stated.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tram (25 years old, from Tay Ninh province) shared that this was her first time experiencing a large-scale, modern tourism product combining music and cuisine right in Ho Chi Minh City. The combination of sound, light, and food created a multi-sensory and emotionally rich experience. She plans to bring her family and friends to experience this product again in the future.

Repositioning and establishing a new product development strategy.

Visitors can enjoy Vietnamese folk music in a cultural setting reflecting the diverse ethnic groups.

Besides introducing new products, tourism and travel businesses in Ho Chi Minh City are also refreshing existing offerings. For example, Suoi Tien Cultural Tourist Area has announced the 22nd Southern Fruit Festival - Suoi Tien Farm Festival in 2026, themed "The Sound of the Alluvial Soil - The Flow of the Roots - Continuing the Culture." This year's festival will feature new elements such as a fruit buffet, a miniature floating market, a night light show, Western-style hammocks, local produce, and even "talking" fruit-lined streets. In particular, several dishes made from beef combined with 26 types of fruit, aiming to set a Vietnamese record, will be the culinary highlight of this year's festival. Furthermore, for the first time at the Southern Fruit Festival, a "Western-style Hammock Station" will appear, featuring hammocks, sweet tea, traditional cakes, noodle soup, and savory pancakes, giving visitors the feeling of visiting a local orchard right in Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile, the Southern Flavors Food Festival 2026, organized by PhuThoTourist Joint Stock Company in collaboration with Dam Sen Cultural Park, with the theme "A Hundred Flavors Intertwined," recreates a vibrant tapestry of Kinh, Hoa, Khmer, and Cham culinary cultures through hundreds of regional specialties. More than just a culinary experience, the festival offers visitors a rich and engaging experience, closely connected to the life, people, and hospitality of the Southern region.

Some visitors to Ho Chi Minh City have noted that, alongside music and cuisine, many tourism products offer unique experiences, showcasing majestic nature, diverse cultures, and friendly people. Without leaving the city or participating in inter-regional tours, visitors can enjoy a complete journey encompassing their senses—hearing, sight, and emotions.

From a management perspective, Ms. Nguyen Cam Tu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, stated that the city's tourism industry, in addition to building upon the achievements of 2026, will strongly innovate its thinking, continue to develop tourism products, elevate destinations, innovate promotional activities, and enhance the city's tourism brand. To achieve this goal, the focus in the second quarter of 2026 will be the implementation of the "Summer Highlights" program, which will involve designing diverse new tourism programs for tourists or adding new tour content for tourism and travel businesses in the city.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism will continue to promote surveys, investigations, and assessments of tourism resources to reposition tourism products; and simultaneously develop new tourism products that align with market trends. Alongside this, the Department will strengthen the development of unique tourism products specific to each locality after implementing clear management decentralization. In particular, the city will focus on developing night-time tourism, linked to piloting public-private partnerships in the fields of culture and sports through activities such as night-time museum visits and art performances.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/du-lich-viet-gioi-thieu-am-thuc-van-hoa-dan-toc-20260525133833196.htm