Saigontourist Group: Half a century of growing with the country

August 1, 2025 marks a golden milestone - the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Saigon Tourist Corporation (Saigontourist Group). Half a century has passed, from the first bricks laying the foundation, Saigontourist Group has continuously grown, becoming one of the leading tourism corporations in Vietnam, leaving a deep mark in the development and growth of the tourism industry in Ho Chi Minh City and the whole country.

During that proud half century, carrying out the mission of being the leading enterprise of the national tourism industry, Saigontourist Group has been in tune with the journey of sustainable development with Vietnam - prosperous in economy, profound in culture and firmly integrated.

In 1975, in the context of the country's reunification, Vietnam's tourism industry was still young. The birth of City Tourism Company (the predecessor of Saigontourist Group), with an initial staff of only 236 employees. After 50 years of continuous efforts, Saigontourist Group is proud to own a large and diverse system across the country . Implementing the strategy of building Saigontourist Group into a leading tourism economic group in Vietnam and the region in 5 core business areas including Accommodation - Travel - Cuisine - Entertainment - Training, Saigontourist Group is currently the leading tourism group in Vietnam, managing more than 100 hotels, resorts, restaurants, travel companies, entertainment areas, tourism training schools, conference and exhibition centers, seminars, golf courses and cable television...; contributing thousands of billions of VND to the state budget each year.

Saigontourist Group's strength also lies in its strong workforce, which has grown to more than 17,000 people. With professionalism, dedication and deep understanding of the tourism industry, Saigontourist Group's team has been and is making an important contribution to bringing the best experiences to customers. The corporate culture focuses on training, nurturing and creating development conditions for employees, creating a strong, united and cohesive team.

Over the past 50 years, Saigontourist Group has played a leading role in the development of Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry and made important contributions to the growth of Vietnam's tourism. The Group has pioneered in investing in the construction of accommodation facilities, restaurant systems, entertainment areas, conference centers, golf courses, and typical tourism products of the city, from cultural - historical tourism, culinary tourism to river tourism, MICE tourism... In the period of 2020 - 2025, the Group is honored to be assigned by the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City to preside over the implementation of linkage programs to promote regional tourism development between Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of the East - Southwest, North, Central regions... Every year, Saigontourist Group also actively participates in hundreds of events, promotional activities, and tourism promotion of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam in the international arena, contributing to bringing the image of the country and people of Vietnam to friends around the world, many of which are honored to have the participation of senior leaders of the Party and State.

Chairman of Saigontourist Pham Huy Binh

PHOTO: SAIGON TOURIST

Saigontourist Group has always been honored to be trusted and chosen as a companion to organize many major events of the city, Vietnam and internationally . This is thanks to the long-standing brand reputation of Saigontourist Group, experience in welcoming high-ranking domestic and international delegations as well as high-quality services according to international standards, located in prime locations in the city center. Saigontourist Group has successfully served the comprehensive logistics of large-scale, world-class events hosted by Vietnam, most notably the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, the ASEAN Summit, the United Nations Vesak Festivals... In particular, the Nguyen Hue Flower Street event, which has been continuously implemented by Saigontourist Group since 2004, has become a major cultural festival event of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam every time the traditional New Year is celebrated.

Not only focusing on business activities, Saigontourist Group is always deeply aware of corporate social responsibility . One of the most typical programs, continuously maintained throughout the 50-year journey of construction and development - the program "Saigontourist Group for the community" has implemented many practical activities across the country, contributing to supporting the community, especially those in difficult circumstances. Activities such as building charity houses, supporting education, taking care of community health, protecting the environment, and showing great social responsibility in the fight against Covid through welcoming and providing logistics for medical teams and frontline teams in Ho Chi Minh City have demonstrated the heart and sharing of the Saigontourist Group, affirming its commitment to sustainable development, harmonizing corporate interests and social responsibility .

Continuously from 2006 to present, the Saigontourist Group Golf Tournament for the Community organized by Saigontourist Group every year for charity purposes has Donated large sums of money over the years to many practical charity and social programs, supporting and caring for unfortunate and vulnerable people in society; organized and awarded tens of thousands of scholarships to studious students in difficult circumstances, students at Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for the Blind and shelters in Ho Chi Minh City, provinces and cities; supported heart surgery, eye surgery, free medical examination and treatment for disadvantaged patients; provided relief to ethnic minorities in mountainous areas; built charity houses and rural bridges in remote areas.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2022

Proud of "half a century of growing with the country", Chairman of Saigontourist Group Pham Huy Binh emotionally shared: "Looking back on the proud development journey of Saigontourist Group, we are extremely moved and grateful for the trust and direction of the Central and Ho Chi Minh City leaders, the companionship of customers, partners and the tireless dedication of generations of leaders, officers and employees of Saigontourist Group. From the pioneering steps, we have built a professional and strong tourism system, honored to be the unit that laid the initial foundation and made an important and decisive contribution to the development of the city's and the country's tourism industry.

In the new context with many opportunities and challenges, Saigontourist Group will continue to innovate, create, apply technology and improve service quality to better meet market needs and reach international standards. We believe that, with a solid 50-year tradition, with a dedicated and professional staff, Saigontourist Group will continue to reap new successes, affirming its leading position with the aspiration to reach out, go far and fly high with the country" .

Awards and achievements

The efforts and contributions of Saigontourist Group and its member units have been recognized by the State, Government, The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the General Department of Tourism, the Vietnam Tourism Association, Ho Chi Minh City and prestigious domestic and international organizations have awarded tens of thousands of noble titles and awards. Among them, the most typical are: Labor Hero Collective; Independence Medals of First, Second and Third Class; Labor Medals of First, Second and Third Class; Emulation Flags and Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister; Traditional Flags and Certificates of Merit from the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee; Top Ten Awards for Vietnam and International Tourism; ASEAN Awards; Guinness World Records, World's Best Food Festival Award for many consecutive years... These certificates of merit, medals, and awards are proof of the tireless dedication of the Saigontourist Group, affirming the quality of service and the prestige of the group's brand on the regional and world tourism map.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/saigontourist-group-nua-the-ky-vuon-minh-cung-dat-nuoc-185250828083838613.htm