Foreign tourists in HCM City
According to a report by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the city welcomed an estimated 8.5 million international visitors in 2025, up 39.3 per cent year on year and reaching 100 per cent of its annual target. Domestic tourist arrivals were estimated at 45 million, an increase of 18.4 per cent. Total tourism revenue rose by 36.1 per cent compared with 2024, reaching around VND 260 trillion (approximately USD 10.4 billion).
Over the past year, the city’s tourism sector focused on developing products that reflect its creative urban identity and southern cultural character, while accelerating digital transformation in management, promotion and visitor services.
Ho Chi Minh City also made effective use of MICE tourism, international visitors from key markets and high spending domestic travellers.
A highlight of the year was the launch of tourism routes showcasing local identity, alongside historical tours linked to landmarks such as the Reunification Palace, the Cu Chi tunnels and the Rung Sac resistance base, marking the 50th anniversary of national reunification.
Visitors to Cu Chi tunnels
Waterway tourism continued to be identified as a key strength, with 19 overnight routes completed, 22 new routes surveyed, and expanded connections between the city and provinces in the Mekong Delta.
Pham Huy Binh, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that in 2026 the sector would develop new products including green tourism, smart tourism, agricultural tourism and tourism linked to cultural and urban heritage, while stepping up promotion and market expansion, particularly in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.
Under the plan for 2026, the city aims to welcome about 11 million international visitors and 50 million domestic travellers, with total tourism revenue projected at around VND 330 trillion (approximately USD 13.2 billion).
