Bến Thành Market, a popular tourist attraction in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City was once again honoured at the 2025 World Travel Awards (WTA) for Asia and Oceania held on October 13 in Hong Kong (China), reaffirming its position as one of the world’s leading destinations with four prestigious titles, according to its Department of Tourism.

The city was recognised in the categories of Asia’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2025 (for the fourth time), Asia’s Leading Festival & Event Destination 2025 (for the fourth time), Asia’s Leading City Tourist Board 2025 (for the third time), and Asia’s Leading Coastal City Break Destination 2025 (for the first time).

These four prestigious awards not only honour the city’s relentless efforts toward sustainable tourism development, but also mark an important milestone in promoting the “Vibrant HCM City” brand, said Bùi Thị Ngọc Hiếu, deputy director of the department.

“Being continuously recognised by the international community at the 2025 World Travel Awards is a great honour and a powerful motivation for the city’s tourism sector to keep innovating and creating,” Hiếu said.

“Our goal is to position HCM City as a leading tourism hub in the Asia-Pacific region,” she said.

Alongside the city’s outstanding achievements, Việt Nam was also honoured with two prestigious titles at the World Travel Awards 2025: Asia’s Leading Destination 2025 (for the seventh time) and Asia’s Leading Heritage Destination 2025 (for the third time).

Many destinations, businesses, and organisations across the country were also recognised in other categories, including Hà Nội – Asia’s Leading City Destination and Asia’s Leading Short Break Destination, Hội An – Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination, Ninh Bình – Asia’s Leading Emerging Destination, Vân Đồn – Asia’s Leading Regional Airport, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng – Asia’s Leading National Park, Mộc Châu – Asia’s Leading Regional Nature Destination, and Vietnam Airlines – Asia’s Leading Airline Brand.

Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards (WTA) is the most prestigious global awards programme in the travel and hospitality industry, recognising excellence and outstanding achievements by destinations, organisations, and enterprises worldwide.

Year-end festival season

HCM City is well on track to achieve its 2025 targets of welcoming ten million international visitors and 50 million domestic tourists, the department said in a press release.

In the last quarter of the year, the city will focus on developing tourism products with destination promotion through multiple channels, including digital platforms and social media, and stimulus programmes for the year-end festival season – New Year’s Eve and Lunar New Year 2026.

It will republish the “HCM City Culinary Guide” and culinary tour programmes.

In addition, a number of regional festivals, cultural and sports events will take place in the last quarter of the year, including the 3rd HCM City River Festival, the 5th HCM City Tourism Week, the 8th Techcombank HCM City International Marathon, and the international music festival Hò Dô (HOZO).

In the first nine months of this year, the city welcomed nearly six million international visitors and 29 million domestic visitors.

Tourism revenue was estimated at nearly VNĐ185 trillion (US$7.39 billion). — VNS