According to the department, the southern metropolis served 1.24 million tourists in this time, including nearly 76,000 foreigners.

Tourists largely favoured resort destinations with well-developed service systems and a wide range of recreational activities, suitable for multi-generational family groups.

The Nguyen Hue walking street – Bach Dang Wharf attracted large crowds of locals and tourists for New Year celebrations, art performances, and river tourism activities. Meanwhile, destinations such as Ben Thanh market, Saigon Centre, Takashimaya, and Vincom Dong Khoi became bustling hubs for shopping and dining during the holiday.

Historical sites, including the Independence Palace, War Remnants Museum, and the HCM City Museum, also maintained a steady flow of visitors, particularly international tourists.

Meanwhile, Binh Duong ward drew domestic tourists and short-stay visitors to the Dai Nam Van Hien tourist complex. Tourism linked to traditional craft villages and cultural-industrial spaces is also gradually being developed, helping to diversify the city’s tourism products.

Vung Tau, Long Hai, Ho Tram, and Ho Coc beaches, as well as spiritual and eco-tourism sites in the city also saw a significant increase in visitors.

The municipal Department of Tourism attributed the results to travel businesses’ efforts in proactively designing and offering a variety of programmes for the New Year holiday, including short-day tours, city tours, night experiences, culinary tours, and trips connecting the city with neighbouring provinces. It noted that many accommodation providers introduced diverse promotions on room rates and services, improved service quality, and increased staff during the peak period.

During the holiday, many localities nationwide experienced a “bumper season,” as favourable weather and lively cultural and tourism activities drew large crowds of both domestic and international visitors.

The central province of Quang Tri welcomed 120,000 visitors in the four-day holiday, including 4,500 international tourists, mainly from the US, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, the Republic of Korea, and China.

Tourist attractions drawing large numbers of visitors for sightseeing and experiences included the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Khe Sanh, as well as historical sites such as General Vo Nguyen Giap’s Tomb, the Vinh Moc Tunnels, the Ta Con airport, the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel and the Quang Tri Museum.

In 2026, Quang Tri aims to serve around 10.5 million visitors. To achieve this, the locality has planned to develop new tourism products linked to cultural stories and local landmarks to attract both domestic and international tourists.

In the same period, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai welcomed over 363,000 visitors, earning VND1.5 trillion. This is a positive start, providing momentum for Lao Cai’s tourism sector to achieve its tourism development goals in 2026.

HCM City Tourism Week kicks off

The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week 2025 and the Shopping Seasons: Binh Duong Mega Sale programme opened on December 3 at the World Trade Centre in Binh Duong ward.