HCM City aims to welcome 10 million international visitors, 50 million domestic tourists, and achieve total tourism revenue of VNĐ290 trillion in 2025. Photo visithcmc.vn

HCM CITY - HCM City is ramping up tourism promotion with a series of major year-end events and festivals as it pursues ambitious 2025 targets of 10 million international visitors, 50 million domestic tourists, and VNĐ290 trillion (US$11 billion) in revenue.

To achieve its tourism goals, especially the target of attracting more visitors in 2025, HCM City’s Department of Tourism will focus on implementing a wide range of solutions and programmes to develop tourism products and stimulate the market from now until the end of the year.

Specifically, the city aims to welcome 10 million international visitors, 50 million domestic tourists, and achieve total tourism revenue of VNĐ290 trillion in 2025.

To this end, in the remaining months of 2025, the sector will review and enhance tourism products, intensify promotion efforts, strengthen international tourism marketing, and organise major year-end events and festivals.

Key highlights include the 3rd HCM City River Festival 2025, the 5th HCM City Tourism Week 2025, the 8th Techcombank HCM City International Marathon 2025, and the promotion of the international music festival Hò Dô.

According to Nguyễn Thị Ánh Hoa, director of the HCM City Department of Tourism, the sector has been developing and introducing themed culinary tours, re-publishing the “HCM City Culinary Handbook” (both print and digital versions), and launching a synchronised “Culinary Passport” to create a complete experience ecosystem, positioning the city as a “culinary paradise.”

In addition, the department is integrating tourism development orientations after recent administrative reforms and issuing standardised regional service criteria for the travel sector to ensure consistent quality.

Destination promotion is being conducted through multiple channels, including Vietnam Airlines, airports, metro systems, digital platforms, and social media.

“In the context of HCM City officially operating under a two-tier local government system and aiming for double-digit economic growth, tourism has been identified as a key growth driver, contributing to the city’s vision of becoming an ‘international megacity.’

The Department of Tourism has proactively launched tourism stimulus programmes, adjusted 2025 tourism targets, and proposed policies and solutions to attract investment and create momentum for the sector’s development," Nguyễn Thị Ánh Hoa said.

Together with the strong impact of ongoing tourism promotion programmes across the city, the 19th HCM City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2025) and the 12th General Assembly of the Tourism Promotion Organisation for Asia Pacific Cities (TPO 2025) in early September have created important milestones and a solid foundation for the city’s tourism sector to accelerate in the year-end season and open prospects for 2026.

For the first time, Việt Nam hosted the TPO General Assembly in HCM City, coinciding with major national celebrations, enhancing the city’s political stature and international image.

Notably, HCM City’s tourism sector was honored with the TPO Best Awards 2025 in Tourism Marketing for its “Find Your Style, Feel the Vibes” campaign, affirming its creative and effective promotion capacity.

The success of the 19th ITE HCM City and the 12th TPO General Assembly not only strengthened the city’s international position but also realised a “one arrow, multiple targets” strategy, boosting tourism while driving economic growth, trade, and innovation.

In the first eight months of 2025, HCM City welcomed over 5 million international visitors and more than 25 million domestic tourists, with total tourism revenue reaching VNĐ161.9 trillion. - VNS