Ho Chi Minh City 'searches' for high-end international guests in the US

Ho Chi Minh City is stepping up tourism promotion activities in the US, aiming to attract high-quality international visitors, especially MICE visitors, in the context of Vietnam's tourism industry entering a new integration phase and increasingly fierce competition on the world map.

From October 4 to 12, 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism will organize a Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City tourism promotion program in the US with two highlights: Participation in the IMEX America 2025 Fair in Las Vegas and the Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Introduction Conference in Los Angeles. This is the first international promotion program of Ho Chi Minh City after merging with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau , marking the transformation of the city's tourism industry in the role of a leading tourism, trade, service and conference center in Southeast Asia.

IMEX America is one of the world's largest MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism fairs, gathering thousands of event organizers, associations, travel agencies and global promotion agencies. Being present at this playground not only helps Ho Chi Minh City promote its destination brand, but also directly access the international buyer network, attracting high-spending, long-stay visitors and the need to combine trade and investment tourism.

Ho Chi Minh City tourism introduces to international visitors the beauty of traditional culture

According to statistics from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the US is the country with the highest outbound tourism spending globally with more than 281.7 billion USD in 2024. This market not only has a large population (over 347 million people, GDP per capita ranked 7th in the world) but also has a high rate of people traveling abroad, especially in groups of business travelers, conferences and high-end resort tourism.

With the goal of welcoming 8.5 million international visitors in 2025, Ho Chi Minh City has identified the US as a key market to attract high-quality visitors, thereby expanding business cooperation, increasing revenue and enhancing the destination's image. By participating in IMEX America, Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry hopes to invite many US partners and buyers to attend the ITE HCMC 2026 International Tourism Fair and major domestic events, contributing to increasing the effectiveness of investment and trade promotion in parallel with tourism.

At the IMEX America 2025 fair (from October 7 to 9 at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas), the Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City booth has an area of ​​about 74.3 m² with an impressive design, imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity. The booth focuses on introducing key products such as MICE tourism, luxury tourism, cultural - historical tourism and traditional cuisine.

Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City booth stands out at IMEX America

Together with Vietnam Airlines, vivid promotional activities such as video screenings, new publications, postcard sets introducing Ho Chi Minh City tourism images in English, and the participation of artisans drawing to he figurines have attracted the attention of many international visitors. The Ho Chi Minh City delegation also had in-depth working sessions with representatives of major airlines and corporations such as EVA Air, China Airlines, Starlux, IHG, Wynn Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, HelmsBriscoe US... to expand the network of strategic partners, attracting visitors and investors to Vietnam.

On October 10, 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism will organize a seminar to introduce Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City tourism in Los Angeles, meeting with leading travel groups in California such as Goway Travel, AMA Waterways, Ritz Tours, Uniworld River Cruise... This is an opportunity to learn about the needs of American customers, develop new products and invite American partners to attend ITE HCMC 2026.

The US market has always been one of Ho Chi Minh City's top priorities.

Ms. Nguyen Minh Bao Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, said: "The US market has always been one of the top priorities of Ho Chi Minh City. This program not only introduces the image of a dynamic, modern city, diverse in culture and nature, but also demonstrates the new position of Ho Chi Minh City after the merger as a regional tourist megacity, converging three pillars: financial economy, high-tech industry and rich marine ecosystem."

According to Ms. Ngoc, participating in IMEX America is not only a promotional opportunity but also helps Ho Chi Minh City learn professional, international standard promotion models, thereby upgrading the standards for major domestic events such as ITE HCMC, River Festival or Tourism Week.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tphcm-tim-khach-quoc-te-cao-cap-o-my-18525100815101784.htm