Ho Chi Minh City targets Australian tourists with new travel experiences

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and Vietnam Airlines held a Vietnam-Ho Chi Minh City-Australia tourism promotion program, in coordination with Saigontourist Group and local travel companies, in Sydney on Monday.

The city is stepping up promotion, business networking, and tourism product development to tap the Australian market.

Australia ranks fifth among Ho Chi Minh City's top tourism markets

The program was a highlight of a series of tourism promotion activities held from August 8 to 13, bringing together representatives from government agencies, tourism associations, airlines, travel companies, and other partners from Vietnam and Australia.

Pham Huy Binh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said Australia is one of the city's key, stable, and high-value international tourism markets.

During the first seven months of the year, Ho Chi Minh City received 253,104 Australian visitors, with Australia ranking as the city's fifth-largest source market and representing nearly 64 percent of all Australian arrivals in Vietnam.

Australian travelers tend to spend more and are interested in local experiences, food, history, culture, urban life, beach resorts, ecotourism, and responsible travel, Binh said. 

"These are also the types of tourism products Ho Chi Minh City is focusing on developing," he said.

Against this backdrop, the Sydney program highlighted Ho Chi Minh City's evolving tourism landscape and growth potential following its administrative expansion, along with its tourism offerings, visa policies, and major tourism events.

The promotional space in Sydney was designed to encourage interaction and engagement, featuring cultural and artistic performances, an interactive tourism map, gifts, and promotional materials. 

The format offered Australian visitors and partners a more direct look at Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City.

Another key part of the program was business-to-business (B2B) networking, giving tourism companies from both countries an opportunity to showcase their products, discuss market needs, seek partners, and explore new areas of cooperation.

New partnerships expand prospects for long-term cooperation

Through its tourism promotion efforts, Ho Chi Minh City aims to turn connections in the Australian market into concrete partnerships.

As part of the program, the city's Department of Tourism is expected to sign memorandums of understanding with the Australian Tourism Industry Association (ATIA), Luxury Escapes and Intrepid Travel. 

The deals will focus on destination promotion, market connections, product development, and increasing visitor flows.

The city plans to conduct more research into traveler demand and develop products tailored to different segments of the Australian market. 

Fam trips, press trips, and destination promotions will also be expanded, allowing travel companies, journalists, content creators, and Australian partners to experience Ho Chi Minh City's offerings first-hand.

The city also plans to deepen cooperation with airlines and travel companies to develop joint tourism products and itineraries linking Australia and Vietnam.

For higher-value segments, Ho Chi Minh City is targeting luxury leisure travel, culinary tourism, ecotourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), and cultural experiences tied to local communities, while promoting responsible and sustainable tourism.

"We believe a sustainable tourism market is built not only on growth figures, but also on connections between people, between businesses, and between destinations and the evolving needs of travelers," Binh said.

Building on the connections made in Sydney, Ho Chi Minh City hopes to expand its partner network, develop more tailored tourism products, and boost two-way visitor flows between Vietnam and Australia.