Ho Chi Minh City will build three international passenger ports to develop cruise tourism.

Ho Chi Minh City plans to invest in three international passenger port projects located in the southern area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City to meet the demand for developing cruise tourism.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, Head of the Tourism Resource Development Planning Department, answered questions from the press on the afternoon of October 23rd.

On the afternoon of October 23, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, Head of the Tourism Resource Development Planning Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that the Department is coordinating with relevant units to finalize the dossier for the pilot project to receive international cruise ships at the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port area, with the pilot period lasting until June 2026.

According to Ms. Thanh Thao, the Ministry of Construction recently approved the policy allowing the continued reception of international passenger ships at some ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area (part of Ho Chi Minh City's seaports) until June 30, 2026, after the Vietnam Maritime Administration requested a halt to receiving cruise ships. Therefore, from now until mid-2026, the Department will work with other departments, agencies, and port operating enterprises to review and assess infrastructure conditions and legal procedures to ensure sufficient capacity to receive international passenger ships.

In fact, the ports in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area were initially planned for cargo operations and did not meet the standards for infrastructure and passenger services. To receive passengers, the ports must go through the procedures to obtain an additional certificate of port operation according to current regulations. Furthermore, in the context of the increasing number of international tourists arriving by sea, many units have proactively converted their functions, invested in upgrading infrastructure, human resources, and services to be ready to receive passenger ships.

Ho Chi Minh City welcomes thousands of tourists by cruise ship every year.

Furthermore, during the period 2026-2030, Ho Chi Minh City is expected to have three new international port projects planned in the southern part of the city and one passenger port in the central area. These projects are part of the cruise tourism development strategy, linked to the goal of making the city a leading tourism and logistics hub in the region.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao stated that boosting the reception of international cruise ships not only helps the city's tourism industry recover faster but also opens up opportunities to form a chain of high-quality cruise tourism products, linked with destinations in the Southeast region.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/tp-ho-chi-minh-se-xay-dung-3-cang-hanh-khach-quoc-te-de-phat-trien-du-lich-tau-bien-20251023171703290.htm