International arrivals totaled over 3.8 million, up 44% from the same period last year, also meeting 45.4% of the full-year goal. Meanwhile, domestic travelers numbered more than 18.3 million, a 7% increase year-on-year, reaching 40.7% of the yearly plan.

The city currently has 3,146 lodging facilities, including 134 hotels rated between one and five stars.

Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the muncipal Department of Tourism, said the local tourism sector is transitioning from recovery to accelerated growth by adapting to new conditions, strengthening regional connectivity, and promoting sustainable development centered on both local communities and visitors.

This shift, she added, supports the city’s broader socio-economic development goals for 2025 and beyond.

To boost demand and enhance the city's profile as a vibrant, welcoming destination, the Department has rolled out a series of new initiatives and tourism offerings. Among them is the “Find Your Flavor” tour series, which highlights Vietnamese culinary culture.

A tour series titled "Find Your Flavor", designed to highlight Vietnamese cuisine, will be a central feature. It will be accompanied by a multimedia art programme that blends light, sound, and spatial motion to vividly re-create iconic literary and artistic works reflecting Ho Chi Minh City's rich cultural development over the past 50 years.

Ho Chi Minh City welcomes over 1.6 million foreign visitors in first quarter

VOV.VN - Ho Chi Minh City welcomed over 1.6 million foreign visitors in the first quarter of this year, marking an 18.2% increase from the same period in 2024, the municipal Department of Tourism announced on March 25.