HCM City highlights local cultures to ignite urban tourism
Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector has actively brought its indigenous culture into urban tourism, considering this as one of the strategies to promote the strengths of the city’s destination network.
Ho Chi Minh City's Can Gio attractive to tourists (Photo: vntrip.vn)
HCM City (VNA) ✤- Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector has actively brought its indigenous culture into urban tourism, considering this as one of the strategies to promote the strengths of the city’s destination network.
Many districts have continuously launched new tourism products to stimulate the tourism market. The moves have initially impressed local people and helped attract more tourists to the city.
Recently, the People's Committee of district 5 launched a programme named "Visiting Cho Lon to Watch the Lion Dance". This programme is implemented on Saturday and Sunday of the 2nd week of each month at The Garden Mall on Hong Bang street. Within the framework of the event, there are also many mobile booths serving food, and introducing local specialties and souvenirs.
Similarly, tourism product "Tan Phu - Going is remembering" implemented by the People's Committee of Tan Phu district is attracting tourists, making Tan Phu one of the destinations with bold indigenous cultural colours.
Joining this tour, visitors can set foot on Phu Tho Hoa tunnel relic site, Tan Thoi communal house, and Phap Van pagoda with many national records. Folks can also enjoy shopping and local food at Ngoc Linh Ginseng Museum and cloth markets in Tan Phu district.
Foreign tourists visit Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)
To date, Ho Chi Minh City has had more than 10 local products under the "each district has one tourism product” programme launched by the city's Department of Tourism at the beginning of 2022.
Regarding the programme, Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, said that one of the strategies of the city's tourism industry is to become an attractive destination in terms of cultural - historical values, cuisine, and local people.
Statistics of the sector showed that Ho Chi Minh City currently has 366 attractive destinations, which can attract tourists. These destinations focus mainly on four main groups of resources, including natural tourism; tangible cultural tourism; intangible cultural tourism, and tourism associated with man-made crafts./.
Ho Chi Minh City authorities have applied a number of measures to boost its tourism growth after the COVID-19 pandemic, including the diversification of products and services by developing those with high potential such as farm and MICE.
Domestic tourism continues to lead the way, with Ho Chi Minh City remaining the top destination for local travel in 2022, according to a study, ‘Summer Travel Trends’, released by online digital travel platform Agoda.
A tourism promotion event was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 3, seeking to boost tourism connection between the country's biggest metropolis and the capital of the Republic of Korea (RoK).
All the 240 households in Thieng Lieng hamlet once knew only salt production and aquaculture, but now welcoming tourists has become a source of their joy and income.
The first and only direct service connecting the two countries at the moment is set to operate three times per week using the modern wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
Mu Cang Chai is home to nearly 83,000 hectares of forest, including almost 60,000 hectares of unspoiled natural woodland. Recognising this potential, local authorities have embraced a holistic strategy that protects biodiversity while promoting tourism.
Phu Quoc ranks among the top 10 leading tourist islands in Asia. As the largest island in Vietnam, it boasts stunning natural beauty, with expansive coral reefs resting beneath the sea and a number of beautiful, poetic beaches such as Sao, Truong, and Khem, known for their fine white sand and crystal-clear waters.
Vietnam's national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet are among the exhibitors, promoting key destinations such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Phu Quoc, as well as distinctive tourism products.
Alexander Musikhin, Vice President of ATOR and CEO of the Intourist travel agency, highlighted Vietnam as a top destination offering a unique blend of beach holidays and cultural excursions.
According to Seoul’s Tourism Industry Department, approximately 20,000 Vietnamese visitors travel to the city each year for medical treatment. Vietnam consistently ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest number of medical tourists to Seoul.
An analysis of accommodation search data based on check-in dates for June and July revealed that Nha Trang surpassed all other destinations in popularity among Korean users.
The programme is organised by the Khanh Hoa provincial Youth Union and the “Khanh Hoa people speak English” Project, and aims to promote the culture, history, cuisine and other tourism products of Nha Trang – Khanh Hoa to international visitors.
VNAT Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh called visa a golden ticket to pulling in crowds, but he is clear that it needs coordinated efforts across multiple sectors to keep the momentum going in this fast-moving global travel scene.
As a tourism hub, Hanoi is now actively developing strategies to attract Muslim travellers. In recent years, the city has seen a notable uptick in visitors from countries with large Muslim populations.
When tourists witness firsthand the passion and care of farmers, they’re willing to pay higher prices because they see the genuine worth behind every product.
During the first five months, China continued to be Vietnam's largest source market of tourists, followed by the RoK, China’s Taiwan, the US, and Japan.
After more than three months of operation, the popularity of the free tours in Bac Ninh province shows no signs of cooling down. Many tourists return every week in hopes of experiencing all the tours and visiting every destination.
Typical products of Phu Tho are being showcased at the Lao Cai International Travel Mart 2025, held in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai from June 5-8.
Featuring 130 stalls and delegations from 120 travel agencies representing more than ten countries and territories, the event is expected to provide a platform for establishing partnerships and attracting more visitors to Lao Cai in the future.
Kicking off the festival on the evening of June 7 will be the grand music concert titled “Nha Trang Say Hi”, featuring popular artists from the trending show “Anh Trai Say Hi”. The event will be broadcast live nationwide and conclude with a fireworks display over Nha Trang Bay.
Data from Booking.com reveals that during the peak summer vacation in June and July, beach trips continue to be a top priority for Vietnamese travellers.
The northern midland province of Phu Tho has carried out all-round measures to improve tourism infrastructure, services, and offerings, elevating visitor experience and reinforcing the province’s unique cultural identity.
Ho Chi Minh City's Can Gio attractive to tourists (Photo: vntrip.vn)
Foreign tourists visit Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)
