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>> Tourism sets an ambitious target of 260,000 billion VND in 2025
| Welcoming ceremony for the first groups of international tourists to Ho Chi Minh City in early 2025. |
According to Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Department, Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, this is an event marking the start of a series of activities to promote local tourism for the new year 2025, while aimed at celebrating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the unification of the country (April 30, 1975 – April 30, 2025). This special event aims to promote the image of Ho Chi Minh City as a safe and vibrant tourist destination, welcoming both domestic and international visitors. This also contributes to positive growth of the tourism industry, both at the national and city level, strengthening Ho Chi Minh City's position as a leading destination for international tourists.
At the same time, this ceremony illustrates the hospitality and friendliness of the city, while conveying the message “Ho Chi Minh City: Open – Young – Lively – Enthusiastic – Always looking to the future” to the attention of visitors.
Surprising and interesting gifts
According to organizers, the first three international flights to Ho Chi Minh City in 2025 included flight VN10 from France (operated by Vietnam Airlines), flight JL079 from Tokyo (operated by Japan Airlines), and flight CX767 from Hong Kong. Kong (operated by Cathay Pacific). Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, these tourist groups were welcomed with a series of activities showcasing Vietnamese traditions, such as performances of traditional musical instruments, art presentation tea (Tea ceremony Viet), or calligraphy demonstrations where artists wrote wishes on traditional Vietnamese Tet tureens.
| The luckiest tourists receive interesting gifts from the organizing committee. |
In addition to these cultural activities, the first visitors having “hit the ground“(the first to set foot in a place at Lunar New Year) received symbolic and meaningful gifts, such as typical handicraft products: conical hats (conical hat), fabric bags, teddy bears, key rings, pins representing theAo Daipaintings on paper, vegan cosmetics, roasted coffee, and many more. These souvenirs were provided by tourism sector companies such as Vietravel, BestPrice Vietnam, Lua Viêt, and Cocoon Vietnam.
Meanwhile, eight special passengers of flight VN10 from France, which landed at 5:20 a.m., were chosen to receive round-trip business class tickets on flights operated by Vietnam Airlines. Additionally, five lucky passengers from flight JL079 from Tokyo and five from flight CX767 from Hong Kong also received prestigious gifts at the event.
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| Two foreign tourists visit a Vietnamese specialty stall as part of the event. |
A breakthrough year for tourism
Nguyên Thi Anh Hoa declared that, through this ceremony to welcome the first international tourists of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City wishes to convey the message of a dynamic, welcoming and internationally oriented city. The year 2025 will be an important milestone for the city's tourism sector, with the launch of new and varied tourism products, ranging from cultural tourism to relaxation and exploration experiences. This ceremony symbolizes not only a cultural activity, but also a warm welcome from Ho Chi Minh City to domestic and international tourists.
According to her, in 2025, Ho Chi Minh City aims to welcome around 45 million domestic tourists and 8.5 million international visitors, with revenues estimated at 260,000 billion dong, a significant increase compared to 2024. To achieve this goal, the city has implemented various infrastructure projects, such as the river bus line, the Bên Thành – Suôi Tiên metro line, and the cultural park on the banks of the Saigon River. These initiatives aim to improve the visitor experience during the traditional Tet holiday.
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| A delegation of foreign tourists in front of the Central Post Office of Ho Chi Minh City. |
At the same time, the tourism sector has launched exciting new products, such as Phase 2 of Thiêng Liêng Destination, “War Zone Moon” experience program in Cu Chi Tunnels, and new travel options. river tourism, notably the “Saigon River Sightseeing” program. These innovations reflect Ho Chi Minh City’s commitment to providing memorable experiences for domestic and international tourists.
A massive influx of visitors
According to statistics from the Municipal Tourism Department, tourism and entertainment areas in Ho Chi Minh City welcomed around 750,000 visitors on January 1, 2025 alone. Accommodation establishments also recorded around 135,000 guests, with a rate room occupancy estimated at 83%. Among them, the city received around 41,215 international visitors. The total revenue generated by tourism on that day is estimated at 2.013 billion VND.
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| Tourists discovering Ho Chi Minh City. |
In addition, the visit program to the headquarters of the People's Council and People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City attracted 2,077 participants, both Vietnamese and foreigners, demonstrating the city's growing attractiveness for cultural and institutional tourism. These results demonstrate the vitality of the local tourism sector and the ability of Ho Chi Minh City to position itself as an essential destination in Asia.
Text and photos: Tân Dat/CVN
