Stay longer to experience urban depth
Ho Chi Minh City is gradually becoming a destination chosen by many international tourists to return to, instead of just stopping for a short time on the journey. This trend shows the increasingly clear attraction of a dynamic and experienced city.
Ms. Catherine - a tourist from England - said that she had been to Ho Chi Minh City and returned this time with a stay of about 3 days.
We are on a long journey and choose Ho Chi Minh City to explore cuisine, history and coffee" - Ms. Catherine excitedly shared while visiting the City Post Office.
What impressed the female tourist the most was the friendliness of the people, who are always ready to help tourists. Ms. Catherine also appreciated the urban space with a harmonious combination of traditional and modern architecture, along with a clean and beautiful environment and a vibrant rhythm of life.
Not only personal feelings, this trend is also recognized by tourism businesses in the city. From there, units also promote unique tours, aiming for deep and unique experiences for tourists.
Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu - Marketing - Communications Director of Vietluxtour Company said that instead of just considering Ho Chi Minh City as a transit point, tourists from Europe, America and Australia are spending more time, on average from 2.5 to 3 days, to explore the unique cultural and historical values of the city.
Cuisine and creativity help cities score points
In fact, the attractiveness of Ho Chi Minh City is increasingly being affirmed through prestigious rankings. Most recently, the high-end travel magazine DestinAsian announced the results of the DestinAsian Readers' Choice Awards 2026, in which Ho Chi Minh City ranked 6th in the list of 10 best cities in Asia selected by readers.
Not stopping there, Ho Chi Minh City also appeared in the ranking of 50 best cities in the world in 2026 announced by Time Out, ranking 38th. The city is considered a place that never stands still, with a fast pace of life and a continuous creative spirit that creates new trends.
Cuisine is also a prominent strength of the city. The young chef wave is bringing new ways of telling stories about Vietnamese cuisine, while many innovative and sustainable restaurants are constantly appearing.
Lao Dong recorded that in the Thao Dien area, where many foreigners live and work, many Vietnamese culinary restaurants have become familiar stops for international tourists.
According to chef Nguyen Nhu Cuong - the founder of Madame Lam restaurant (an establishment honored Michelin Selected for 3 consecutive years), the characteristic of Vietnamese cuisine lies in the diversity of regions, from ingredients, spices to processing methods.
The restaurant renews the enjoyment experience, retains traditional ingredients and spices, combines modern techniques and simplified presentations so that diners can fully feel the spirit of Vietnamese cuisine.
In the context of increasingly high tourism competition, Ho Chi Minh City identifies cuisine as one of the pillars of development. In 2026, the city's tourism industry continues to orient the promotion of culinary tourism products, thereby improving the experience and increasing the attractiveness of destinations.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, in 2026, the city will continue to implement the tourism development project to 2030, focusing on improving product quality and diversification, towards typical product lines of large cities. The tourism industry aims to welcome about 11 million international visitors, 50 million domestic visitors, with total estimated revenue of 330,000 billion VND.
