With just over a day left until the Lunar New Year 2026, Ho Chi Minh City enters the peak season of welcoming spring tourists with many activities and exciting festivals. On this occasion, destinations in the city recorded a bustling number of visitors, especially international visitors coming to experience the traditional Vietnamese Tet atmosphere.
At the Vietnamese Tet Festival held at the Youth Cultural House (Saigon ward), many foreign tourists were interested in exploring the space recreating Tet customs such as asking for calligraphy at the beginning of the year, enjoying traditional art... Many people took the opportunity to record the bustling moments of spring.
Besides festivals, waterway tourism products also welcome many international visitors. The Heritage Journey on the Saigon River experience series, combined with Hoa Thanh Tien folk art performances and the sound of Central Highlands gongs, lasting until mid-March 2026, is attracting tourists every day.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, a tourist from South Africa said he really liked this tour, because the experience of admiring the city from the water brings a completely different perspective, thereby, you can feel more clearly about the rhythm of life and history here.
The journey is not just simply sightseeing but also helps me understand more about Vietnamese culture and history through stories about ports, the formation and development of the city" - South African tourist said.
Contributing to creating a cultural highlight for the tour is the performance of the artists. Ms. Ka Hem (Lam Dong) shared that as a Co Ho person, growing up in Da Lat village, she feels proud to have the opportunity to bring the national cultural identity to introduce to tourists.
Performing on a train in the middle of the Saigon River, meeting tourists from many countries, I have more motivation to promote the cultural beauty of my nation, especially to international visitors" - Ms. Ka Hem said.
According to Mr. Nguyen Kim Toan - Director of Thuong Nhat Company, the owner of Saigon WaterBus and WaterGO, the program was built specifically for the Tet season, with the desire to become a cultural storytelling point on the Saigon River, where visitors can both enjoy the scenery and feel the depth of history and traditional art.
Positive signals about the number of international visitors in the early days of spring open up many expectations for the city's tourism industry. This is considered a favorable start, contributing to promoting the destination's image and aiming to welcome about 11 million international visitors in 2026.
