The year-end peak season for international tourists is a great chance for Ho Chi Minh City to boost arrival numbers and tourism revenue, while spreading the positive impact of tourism across other service industries.
In the first nine months of 2026, the city’s key tourism indicators remained broadly on track, reaching more than 77% of the annual targets.
Le Truong Hien Hoa, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said tourism revenue surged 43.4% to 282.69 trillion VND (10.93 billion USD). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the city’s strategy to develop high-value tourism product chains, encouraging longer stays and higher average spending per visitor.
Hoa said that international visitor numbers rose 34.5%, with the city successfully tapping key high-spending markets, including the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia and other Northeast Asian markets.
The strategic shift from expanding tourism in scale to deepening its value was clearly reflected in the successful organisation of the 2026 International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2026) and a series of activities during the National Day holiday on September 2. These events attracted more than 1.7 million visitors to the city and generated 4.9 trillion VND in tourism revenue, providing a strong boost to the service sector.
Truong Minh Huy Vu, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said that to achieve double-digit growth for the full year, the city needs to accelerate high-spillover sectors such as logistics, technology and, in particular, tourism.
The fourth quarter of 2026 marks peak season for international visitors and cruise passengers, alongside a series of major cultural, sporting and tourism events. This presents an opportunity for the sector to attract more visitors and stimulate demand for sightseeing, accommodation and other services.
The Department of Tourism will focus on capitalising on peak-season growth drivers while increasing the economic value and expanding its spillover effects across other service industries.
To achieve its 2026 growth target, the department has launched a tourism communications and promotion campaign under the slogan “Ho Chi Minh City – Vibrant with Every Experience”. In implementing Politburo Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector in the new era, the city’s tourism industry is focusing on making effective use of its potential and advantages while enhancing competitiveness and added value.
Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, Chief of the department’s office, said the campaign’s activities will diversify promotional content, encourage the development of new products and creative ideas, and mobilise businesses and communities to promote the city’s tourism image.
The city’s tourism sector is also rolling out key measures to accelerate growth during the final push of the year. These include expanding markets and attracting both international and domestic visitors.
The Department of Tourism is focusing on the international peak season, prioritising markets with convenient air connections and high spending potential, including China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, India and Australia.
The sector plans to coordinate with airlines, travel companies and international partners to increase flight frequencies, promote tourism products and attract group tours. It also plans to work with aviation, seaport, border guard and customs authorities to facilitate the arrival of international visitors, particularly cruise passengers.
In late September, at the 2026 World Travel Awards (WTA) ceremony for Asia, Oceania and the Indian Ocean, Ho Chi Minh City was once again honoured in three leading Asian tourism categories.
