A woman who dares to dream, to act and to be different

Many breakthrough initiatives

Photo caption — Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa at the event welcoming the first international delegation to Ho Chi Minh City after the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: VNA

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa assumed the position of Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism amidst the nationwide struggle against COVID-19. The tourism industry suffered heavy losses, requiring its leader to proactively and effectively implement innovative approaches to both safely and effectively adapt to the pandemic and prepare for recovery once the pandemic subsides.

When the first “green zone” in the area was announced, the City Tourism Department, the pioneer in reopening, was also the first unit to present a bold but methodical COVID-19 Adaptive Recovery Plan with a 3-phase implementation roadmap that has been proven effective in practice.

Along with the recovery plan, many comprehensive and groundbreaking initiatives have been implemented that not only help the tourism industry recover strongly after COVID-19 but also shape a new position, aiming to become the leading vibrant tourism center in Asia. These efforts span many areas, from developing diverse tourism products, promoting and promoting... to pioneering digital transformation and enhancing international cooperation.

Regarding collaborative development, Ho Chi Minh City has continuously upgraded its cooperation from the departmental level to the provincial level, and from bilateral linkages between localities to regional linkages. In the 2021-2025 period, Ho Chi Minh City signed cooperation agreements on tourism development with 6 regions and 46 provinces and cities nationwide (before administrative unit reorganization), creating a breakthrough in leveraging diverse resources to promote tourism development.

Regarding the achievements, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa stated that continuous innovation to meet the evolving needs of reality is one of Ho Chi Minh City's valuable traditions throughout its formation and development. Building on that tradition, she, as Director, and the entire staff of the City's Department of Tourism have adopted "innovation and creativity" as the guiding principle in most of the industry's activities.

Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry consistently leads the country in visitor numbers and revenue; for many years, it has been honored as "Asia's leading city-level tourism management agency". Even more proudly, the series of events promoting tourism development in the city was selected by the city as one of the 50 outstanding events and activities during the period of April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, this result was achieved thanks to the diversity of programs such as: One distinctive product per district/county; Each business unit is a friendly destination; the "Hello Ho Chi Minh City" campaign; "Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City"...

In particular, the Ho Chi Minh City River Festival, initiated in 2023, is a strategic milestone of the City's Department of Tourism aimed at honoring the city's distinctive cultural and historical values, effectively exploiting its resource advantages, and building its tourism brand. After two editions, the Festival has been recognized at the Ho Chi Minh City Innovation Awards – winning first prize in the Economic category – and achieved double international success with two Gold awards at the International Business Awards (IBA) 2025 in the categories of Arts, Entertainment and Public Festivals and Cultural Events. The International Business Awards judging panel highly praised the strategic vision and strong impact of the Festival: “The Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2024 stands out as a pioneering model that harmoniously combines heritage, tourism, and economic development. Its impressive scale, inspiring storytelling, and diverse range of activities have transformed Ho Chi Minh City's riverine identity into a leading cultural and commercial hub in the region.”

The driving force behind innovation

Another event bearing the mark of Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa is the Ho Chi Minh City Ao Dai Festival, which was launched in 2014 with the desire to preserve and promote the value of traditional costumes and build unique cultural tourism products to introduce to visitors.

To date, after 10 years of innovation and exploration, the festival has become a flagship event for the city's tourism; contributing to spreading national pride and stimulating tourism, promoting related economic sectors such as fashion, trade, and services. The festival, held regularly in March each year, coincides with the celebration of International Women's Day on March 8th, doubling its significance in honoring, inspiring, and empowering women when they wear the traditional ao dai dress. Women not only look more beautiful but also feel a deeper connection to their cultural roots; thus, fostering a greater love for their homeland and country.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa stated that the driving force behind these innovative activities stems from the trust and expectations of the people and leaders of Ho Chi Minh City regarding the tourism industry's potential for breakthroughs and contributions to the economy; and also from the love for the city named after President Ho Chi Minh, a dynamic and compassionate city that always inspires a desire to contribute in each individual…

"Personally, I always ask myself what I can do and how I can make people prouder of where they live, so that the city's unique products and tourism brand are worthy of the heritage it has inherited?", Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa confided about her motivation for creating and innovating tourism products in the city named after President Ho Chi Minh.

Besides her professional activities, with the belief that giving is forever, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa proactively directed and implemented many charitable programs aimed at the community during the COVID-19 prevention and control period, such as supporting essential supplies and medical equipment for field hospitals, medical facilities, and people in lockdown areas… with a total mobilized fund of over 41 billion VND; launching the program “100,000 gift vouchers for city tours for frontline forces fighting COVID-19” and currently the programs “Tourism - Fulfilling Dreams”, “Giving Love in Spring”…

“I and the staff of the City Department of Tourism share the same view: Tourism is not only an economic sector but also for human development. All achievements of the sector are directed towards and return to the goal of human development,” Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa emphasized.

From this perspective, the Thiềng Liềng community tourism model (Thạnh An commune) emerged as one of the heartfelt products of Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry, a prime and inspiring example of empowering women through tourism. The impact of this model on local women is profound and can be seen in many aspects, not only economically but also in affirming their role and status in the family and society through capacity building and skill development, transforming them from housewives into businesswomen.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa believes that Vietnamese women always possess special strength - resilience, kindness and creativity. In the era of international integration, with the support of the whole community and the policies and guidelines of the Party and State, women should always be confident, dare to dream, act and dare to be different. When women are independent and happy, society will certainly become better.

From the perspective of a journalist covering the tourism industry, journalist Hoang Tuyet of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), and also a member of the Steering Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Journalists Club, stated that Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa has been instrumental in assisting journalists in accessing and disseminating diverse and official information about the city's tourism industry. Throughout her tenure as Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa has consistently been a reliable source, readily answering a wide range of questions about the industry's development, helping many journalists produce valuable and high-quality information and communication materials about tourism.

According to the Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, Nguyen Thi Khanh, during her time as Director of the City's Department of Tourism, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa consistently directed relevant parties to closely coordinate with the Association's activities. Particularly in her role as the head of the industry, she not only promoted innovative initiatives but also always listened to opinions and collaborated with the business community in developing sustainable tourism. The Vietnam Women's Award 2025 is well-deserved for her contributions to professional work as well as state management in the tourism sector.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/nguoi-tot-viec-tot/nguoi-phu-nu-dam-uoc-mo-hanh-dong-va-dam-khac-biet-20251017110228573.htm