HCMC attracts international cruise ship visitors
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Huynh Phan Phuong Hoang - Deputy General Director of Vietravel - said that Ho Chi Minh City is possessing a cruise ship passenger market with great potential. The scale of ships docking at the port is increasing, each trip can welcome thousands of passengers, this group of tourists often spends more than the average of regular tourists.
However, according to Ms. Hoang, the biggest challenge at present is infrastructure and connectivity. Traveling from the port to the center takes time and Ho Chi Minh City does not have a specialized service ecosystem for cruise ship passengers. If properly invested, this will be a valuable source of customers, grow steadily and can become an important revenue pillar for the city's tourism.
A representative of Saigontourist Travel Service Company shared that the unit continuously welcomes international ships at Phu My port. Of which, on November 9, the Celebrity Millenium ship brought more than 2,000 visitors to Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi, Can Gio, My Tho.
On November 10, the Celebrity Solstice ship carrying more than 3,000 US, Canadian, British, Australian citizens... on the Ho Chi Minh City - Hue - Ha Long route. The ship will have additional trips across Vietnam in November and December.
According to statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the number of international passenger ships to the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area is continuously increasing. In 2025, there are expected to be 48 trips with about 180,000 visitors, mainly luxury ships, long-distance trips. By the end of 2026, there have been 118 ship registrations to dock with a total of more than 260,000 international visitors.
Need to invest in infrastructure and specialized services
To increase competitiveness and increase the attraction of Ho Chi Minh City's cruise ship tourism, Ms. Phuong Hoang commented that Ho Chi Minh City needs to upgrade the cruise ship reception infrastructure in a synchronous and specialized direction: Arrange a pick-up and drop-off point near the port, plan clear travel flows, and shorten transit time to the center. At the same time, it is necessary to develop high-quality short-term tours, typical cultural products and high-end services suitable for large-spending customers.
Investing in new routes, optimizing transportation and training a team of tour guides specializing in serving cruise ship passengers will help Ho Chi Minh City make a difference in the region.
In October, Ho Chi Minh City's lack of specialized ports for international passenger ships affected cruise tourism activities. Enterprises and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism have urgently petitioned. The Ministry of Construction has approved the policy of allowing continued reception of international passenger ships at some Cai Mep - Thi Vai ports until June 2026 to take advantage of the existing seaport infrastructure and meet the needs of tourism development in the area.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, Head of Tourism Resources Planning Department - Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that from now until June 2026, the unit will continue to coordinate with the Port Management Board in Cai Mep - Thi Vai area to complete the dossier and develop a pilot plan to welcome international groups.
In fact, the Cai Mep - Thi Vai port area was built with the main function of serving goods, so to receive international tourists, it is necessary to change the function, upgrade technical infrastructure and train human resources.
Ms. Thanh Thao added that in the period of 2026 - 2030, it is expected that there will be 3 international passenger ports deployed in the Vung Tau area (formerly) and Khanh Hoi. With the development orientation in the coming period, Ho Chi Minh City will have more international passenger ports to meet the development needs of the tourism industry, especially cruise tourism.
Planning of international passenger port in Vung Tau
The Ministry of Construction has just issued a decision approving the Detailed Planning for the development of land and water areas of Ba Ria - Vung Tau seaport (formerly) for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050. In particular, Vung Tau International Passenger Port includes 2 passenger ports with a total length of 840m (excluding other ports); capable of receiving ships with a capacity of up to 225,000 GT; meeting the needs of 1.39-1.5 million passengers.
