In that flow, cultural tourism is identified as an important pillar, both exploiting the depth of heritage and telling the city's story with close, vivid and sustainable experiences.
Inner-city cultural experience attracts international visitors
Ho Chi Minh City is entering a new development space, with a larger scale, increasingly clear role as a regional center and international gateway. Inter-regional and international connectivity capacity is expanded in terms of infrastructure, market and tourism development space, creating an important foundation for the city to reposition more strongly on the regional and international tourism map, especially in the field of cultural tourism.
In the first days of the year, international visitors to Ho Chi Minh City continue to choose destinations associated with history and urban memories. At the War Remnants Museum, Mr. Chris (Australian tourist) said that visiting historical destinations helps him better understand Vietnam's development journey. This is an experience with many emotions, different from purely entertainment destinations.
Not only familiar destinations such as: War Remnants Museum, Independence Palace or Cu Chi Tunnels, many architectural heritages and religious works in the inner city of Ho Chi Minh City are also attracting a large number of international tourists. Mr. Oscar (Dutch tourist) expressed his impression when visiting Ngoc Hoang Pagoda - a space imbued with architectural imprints and spiritual life.
Ngoc Hoang Pagoda, Duc Thanh Tran Hung Dao Temple, Tan Dinh Church or Tan Dinh Market are stops in the "Cultural Experience - Tan Dinh Imprint" tour, a new tourism product that exploits the depth of urban heritage, architecture, indigenous life and the unique cultural space of the city center area.
According to Ms. Do Thi Anh Tuyet - Vice Chairwoman of Tan Dinh Ward People's Committee, the locality is a space of intersection between historical heritage and modern rhythm of life in Ho Chi Minh City. Through the new tourism tour, tourists have the opportunity to better understand the cultural values still present in urban life, and at the same time, contribute to attracting domestic and foreign tourists, effectively promoting tourism potential in the locality.
From a business perspective, Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu - Marketing - Communications Director of Vietluxtour Company said that in the past time, businesses have recorded positive signals from the inner-city cultural tourism product line. Programs exploited in the direction of "ward - commune, a slice of urban life" are meeting the current customer trend of going closer, experiencing in depth and having stories.
The number of customers booking the "Cultural Experience - Tan Dinh Imprint" tour has gradually increased after its launch, however, it is focusing more on the international customer segment. In 2026, the unit will promote these products to the domestic market with a message that is more suitable for domestic tourists" - Ms. Bao Thu shared with Lao Dong Newspaper.
Positioning cultural tourism in long-term development strategy
Not only the central area, many localities in the expanded urban space are also strongly exploiting the potential of cultural tourism. In the Con Dao special zone, tourism continues to be identified as a key economic sector, based on the simultaneous convergence of historical and cultural heritage values, pristine marine and island ecosystems, biodiversity and cultural and spiritual life rich in identity. The People's Committee of Con Dao special zone orients tourism development towards quality, high added value, taking cultural and historical heritage as the foundation, harmoniously combining with natural resources to form high-class cultural, ecological and resort tourism products.
From a business perspective, Ms. Bao Thu believes that cultural tourism is not just a tour product, but a way for businesses to contribute to telling the city story with a professional, emotional and in-depth perspective. In 2026, the unit will continue to develop cultural products in a quality - differentiated - sustainable direction, so that each journey is not just a trip, but a memorable experience about Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Man - Deputy General Director of Vina Group said that the new support policies of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the city's tourism industry are creating favorable conditions for businesses to attract international visitors as well as visitors from provinces and cities to Ho Chi Minh City. In addition, the gradual completion of transport infrastructure such as metro, rivers and destination systems in suburban areas has become an important premise for businesses to build more diverse and attractive tour products in the expanded urban space.
According to Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, in 2026, the city will focus on implementing the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Development Project to 2030. In which, continue to improve the quality and diversify tourism products, focusing on typical products and developing new types such as: Green tourism, smart tourism, agricultural tourism, tourism associated with cultural heritage and urban heritage.
In parallel with product development, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism promotes and advertises in an innovative direction. One of the highlights is the program in coordination with 168 wards, communes and special zones in the city, each locality becoming a storyteller about culture, destinations and unique identity on a digital platform. Each ward and commune is a story, contributing to creating a multi-dimensional content picture, helping tourists explore Ho Chi Minh City from the community life itself.
In the new urban space, when tourism is not only limited to sightseeing but also towards experience and connection, the companionship between businesses and management agencies is creating a foundation for Ho Chi Minh City's cultural tourism to develop in depth. This is also a sustainable direction for Ho Chi Minh City to affirm its role as a tourist and cultural center of the region and gradually enhance its position on the international tourism map.
