HCM CITY — Following the expansion of its administrative boundaries, HCM City's tourism sector is shifting from promoting individual attractions to developing integrated tourism products that combine diverse experiences with domestic and international tourism promotion programmes. 

The strategy has helped sustain strong growth in both visitor arrivals and tourism revenue during the first seven months of the year.

According to the HCM City Department of Tourism, the city welcomed more than 7.1 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2026, up 42.7 per cent year-on-year, while domestic arrivals reached 31.6 million. 

Tourism revenue totalled nearly VNĐ237.5 trillion (US$9.13 billion), a year-on-year increase of 55.3 per cent, fulfilling 72 per cent of the annual target.

The strong performance has been driven by the continuous introduction of new tourism products. 

In addition to the View HCM City from Above tour, which targets high-spending visitors, the city is further developing MICE tourism through its "City – Industry – Beach – Island" model, combining conferences in the urban centre with industrial visits in Bình Dương and resort stays in Hồ Tràm or Côn Đảo Island. 

The model has helped extend visitors' average length of stay from 3.5 days to more than five days.

Since the beginning of 2026, the city has also stepped up the promotion of medical tourism by capitalising on its strengths in dental care, cosmetic surgery and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), with treatment costs around 30–50 per cent lower than those in many neighbouring countries.

To encourage longer stays, the city is expanding its range of night-time entertainment complexes, pedestrian streets, night markets and large-scale live performance shows. 

It is also enhancing river tourism by developing scenic routes along the Sài Gòn River and strengthening regional waterway connections to Cần Giờ, Vũng Tàu and the former Bình Dương Province.

Fresh experiences

Alongside new tourism products, HCM City continues to upgrade and better connect attractions across the city.

According to Ánh Nguyệt, a resident of Thạnh Mỹ Tây Ward, several familiar destinations are now being promoted through fresh storytelling approaches centred on local history, culture and regional heritage, making them more appealing to visitors.

At Tân Định Market, for example, visitors can encounter installations featuring the traditional Vietnamese guốc mộc (wooden clogs) , while Sài Gòn River cruises offer panoramic views of the city's iconic skyline alongside sunset experiences on the river.

According to Vũ Ngọc Lâm, country director of Agoda Vietnam, food is playing an increasingly important role in travellers' destination choices.

Agoda's data show that 35 per cent of Vietnamese travellers consider cuisine one of the key factors when planning a trip. This presents an opportunity for HCM City to further develop experience-based tourism centred on local culinary culture.

Among the city's destinations, Vũng Tàu has become especially popular for its signature dishes such as bánh khọt (mini savoury pancakes), salted egg sponge cake and stingray hotpot, making it one of the most searched domestic destinations on Agoda during this summer.

Ahead of the year-end peak travel season, the HCM City Department of Tourism will launch the Every Tourism Business Is a Friendly Destination campaign to promote the city's image as a safe, welcoming and sustainable destination.

The 20th International Travel Expo HCM City (ITE HCMC 2026), scheduled for later this quarter, will also serve as a major business-to-business tourism event while marking its 20th anniversary. 

The expo is expected to attract international buyers as well as overseas tourism and media organisations through a series of familiarisation trips.

For the fourth quarter of 2026 alone, the city aims to welcome three million international visitors and 10 million domestic travellers.

To achieve the target, the tourism department will intensify promotional activities in high-spending international markets, including the US, Australia and Singapore, while supporting overseas events such as the Vietnam Phở Festival.

Domestically, the sixth HCM City Tourism Week, scheduled for December 4–12, will feature a wide range of cultural, sporting, tourism and culinary activities across all 168 wards, communes and special zones, with the aim of attracting visitors from across the country. — VNS