Ho Chi Minh City launches tourism stimulus to draw visitors

From flight discounts and hotel promotions to immersive food experiences, the city is positioning itself as a key destination, tapping a resolution that grants visa exemptions to citizens of 12 more countries entering Vietnam for tourism purposes to attract international tourists.

The resolution took effect from August 15, allowing citizens of Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland to stay for up to 45 days from the date of entry, regardless of passport type, provided they meet Vietnam’s entry requirements as stipulated by law.

The municipal Department of Tourism announced the official launch of its 2025 tourism promotion campaign at a conference on Tuesday.

The initiative aims to achieve the bold target of attracting 10 million international visitors, serving 50 million domestic tourists, and generating over VND290 trillion (US$11 billion) in tourism revenue in 2025.

Ngo Minh Quan, director of the inbound division at Vietravel, threw strong support behind the city’s stimulus campaign, especially its focus on the newly visa-exempt markets.

He emphasized the need for collaboration across airlines, tour operators, and service providers to create interconnected, value-rich tourism offerings.

Quan hinted at expanding free ‘walking tours’ across iconic destinations in the city, turning them into packaged experiences for visitors.

Nguyen Ky Trung, secretary general of the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Beverage Association, highlighted that with numerous Michelin-recognized restaurants and hotels under its wing, the association plans to standardize member businesses to become key stops in the city's tourism promotion strategy.

Trung suggested organizing regular food festivals themed around the 12 visa-exempt countries in a bid to enhance visitor engagement and boost traffic and brand recognition for the city.

Addressing the conference, Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, underlined that the city is pushing tech application and digital transformation to drive up tourism.

The city plans to create a smart tourism ecosystem that enhances convenience and engagement.

A partnership with Traveloka Vietnam, running through the end of 2025, will see Ho Chi Minh City destinations promoted across digital platforms.

As part of the campaign, a VND4 billion ($152,300) e-voucher package will be offered for flights and hotel bookings.

Besides, the department introduced the ‘Culinary Passport,’ a bilingual interactive guide available at key transport hubs like Tan Son Nhat International Airport ’s Terminal 3 and metro stations.

It will help tourists navigate and check in at top local culinary spots, making tourists’ food tours more interesting, she said.

Strong mid-year tourism performance

After its administrative merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau Provinces, effective from July 1, the new Ho Chi Minh City welcomed nearly 695,930 international visitors in July, a 75.3-percent year-on-year spike, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism.

The total number of foreign tourists to the city between January and July exceeded 4.5 million, up sharply from the over three million in the same period in 2024 and meeting nearly 54 percent of the city's 2025 target.

As for domestic tourists, nearly 3.4 million visits were recorded to the city in July, a 15-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

In total, the city welcomed almost 22 million visitors during the first seven months of the year, rising by 8.2 percent year on year and reaching 48.3 percent of the full-year target.

The city's tourism industry generated VND140.305 trillion ($5.3 billion) in revenue during the seven-month period, marking a nearly-30-percent year-on-year hike, and achieving 54 percent of the 2025 target.

Health, wellness, mega sale programs

Vo Ngoc Diep, head of the hospitality management division under the department, said that the city is offering health-related incentives such as massage and skincare treatments, along with deals on dining at Michelin-rated restaurants and accommodations rated three stars or higher.

Additionally, international travelers from the Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia flying to Ho Chi Minh City via Vietnam Airlines will receive a 15–20-percent discount on round-trip tickets beginning September 9.

Moreover, the city will host the first ‘Mega Sale’ program starting in early September and running through December 31, to boost tourist arrivals.