Customers and product supply continue to increase
The 2026 New Year holiday is approaching, the entertainment and sightseeing demand of people in Ho Chi Minh City is forecast to be vibrant. In which, waterway tourism continues to be a choice that many tourists are interested in thanks to diverse products and new experiences.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. An Son Lam - Director of Dong Duong Sailing Co., Ltd. said that up to now, the number of customers registering and buying yacht tickets for the 2026 New Year holiday has been quite large. During the New Year holiday, people travel less far, instead, the demand for entertainment and sightseeing right in Ho Chi Minh City is increasing.
Looking back at 2025, Mr. Lam recorded positive signals when the number of visitors increased by about 20% compared to the previous year. This is considered a positive signal, showing the increasingly clear attraction of waterway tourism in the city's tourism product structure.
In recent years, Ho Chi Minh City has promoted the image of river tourism through festivals and specialized events, contributing to bringing Saigon River products closer to people and tourists inside and outside the Southeast and Southwest regions. Increased demand has led to the participation of many investors, with the appearance of new tourist boats and yachts with large capacity, helping the supply become increasingly abundant.
Sustainable direction from riverside space and inter-regional connectivity
Assessing the long-term development prospects, Mr. Lam said that recent orientations of Ho Chi Minh City, such as keeping Nha Rong - Khanh Hoi port, developing riverside park space combined with tourism exploitation, are appropriate directions. Riverside space is invested methodically not only to serve community activities but also to create more highlights for waterway tourism products.
From a business perspective, innovation is considered a key factor to attract and retain tourists. Vehicles are invested according to the criteria of green - clean - beautiful, strengthening green space on ships. When many businesses aim for this criterion, the spillover effect will contribute to raising the image of Ho Chi Minh City's waterway tourism.
In the context of the city expanding its development space, the Saigon River is expected to become a "new inner city axis", opening up opportunities for inter-regional connectivity by waterways. I expect policies to be maintained stably and long-term, creating a foundation for Ho Chi Minh City to soon become a leading attractive waterway tourism destination" - Mr. Lam emphasized.
Along with that, travel businesses are promoting the construction and renewal of waterway tourism products. Mr. Nguyen Minh Man - Deputy General Director of VinaGroup Tourism Company said that sea-facing river tourism is a spearhead product group, taking advantage of the short distance and convenient connection between Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, forming seamless river - sea tourism routes.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the great advantage of expanding Ho Chi Minh City is the ability to create new tourism value chains, bringing diverse experiences in one journey. Besides traditional products in cuisine, culture - history, night economy, waterway tourism is identified as a potential development direction, with inner-city routes combining riverside experiences and directly connecting to the sea through gateways such as Can Gio, Vung Tau.
