Golf tourism is emerging as one of the potential segments of Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular, especially after the city expanded its borders with many standard golf courses.
Along with favorable visa policies, the international tourist market, especially from Korea and Taiwan (China), is growing strongly, opening up opportunities for Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular to become an attractive destination for golf tourism combined with high-end resorts.
Mr. Trinh Nguyen Hung Dung - Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, Chairman of the Saigon Golf Tourism Association said that the Korean market is currently a strong source of visitors for golf tourism and high-end tourism in Vietnam.
With the advantage of Ho Chi Minh City merging with Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Binh Duong provinces, the city currently owns more than 10 golf courses, creating favorable conditions for the development of the tourist segment combining high-end resorts, golf, entertainment and MICE.
Notably, the unit is coordinating to organize the ITE HCMC Golf Tourism Tournament 2025 on September 6, as part of a series of events of the Ho Chi Minh City International Tourism Fair (ITE HCMC) to promote and elevate the city's golf tourism brand.
From a business perspective, Ms. Doan Ngoc Thao - Deputy General Director of The Swing Sports and Tourism Joint Stock Company, General Secretary of Saigon Golf Tourism Association said that in recent years, the market for international golfers coming to Vietnam has grown steadily, most notably the group of tourists from Korea and Taiwan (China).
These are 2 traditional markets, with a special passion for golf, at the same time, have high spending, often combining golf and high-end resorts.
On average, each year, the number of Korean and Taiwanese (Taiwanese, Chinese) visitors to Vietnam to experience golf tourism recorded a growth rate of 10 - 15%, even in some periods, this number increased dramatically.
Ms. Thao emphasized that one of the key factors to promote the development of the golf tourism segment is the visa policy.
The Vietnamese government has expanded visa exemption, extended stay and applied a convenient e-visit policy, creating important conditions to attract more international visitors, especially from Korea and Taiwan (China) - markets that highly value travel convenience. This policy not only helps increase the number of tourists but also extends the length of stay, encouraging tourists to return many times.
"Golf tourism is not only a sports experience but also contributes to enhancing the image of the destination, promoting related services such as hotels, restaurants, and transportation. If we continue to maintain and expand favorable visa policies, I believe that Vietnam will soon become a leading destination in Asia for Korean and Taiwanese golf tourists (China)" - Ms. Thao affirmed.
