With the advantage of a rich river and canal system, waterway tourism is considered a typical product of Ho Chi Minh City, contributing to creating a unique mark for the destination. In recent times, this activity has been continuously restored and expanded, while at the same time, many infrastructure problems have been removed for sustainable development.
Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, commented that waterway tourism continues to be a highlight with the development of canoes, yachts, and high-speed boats connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Mekong Delta and Cambodia.
To date, the city has completed 19 routes with accommodation, surveyed and expanded 22 potential routes, and issued a Waterway Tourism Development Plan for 2025. At the same time, it assessed the effectiveness of connecting with the Southeast provinces such as Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau (old).
In the post-merger phase, the city's tourism industry focused on reviewing and recommending amendments to regulations related to the operating conditions of inland waterway wharves and passenger ports, facilitating businesses to invest and exploit effectively.
At the same time, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism recommended that the City People's Committee promptly hand over assets of 11 inland waterway wharves to local management to make way for businesses to exploit and develop support services such as waiting rooms, toilets, and OCOP product counters.
The city also orients investment in building public wharves and wharves using state budget capital or calling for socialization, combined with dredging canals and dismantling temporary bridges to ensure safety of waterway traffic.
In the last 3 months of the year, tourism resource surveys and assessments will continue to be implemented to re-locate products and build new product development orientations, including waterway tourism.
