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| Visitors shop at Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA) |
Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Facing volatility in global input and fuel markets affecting passenger transport costs, tourism and travel operators in Ho Chi Minh City are increasingly focusing on enriching on-site visitor experiences and redesigning itineraries to create more distinctive tour products.
The approach is delivering what industry observers describe as “dual benefits” – responding to growing demand for experiential and sustainable travel while reducing transportation costs and creating fresh appeal for the summer tourism season.
Although the southern metropolis has entered the rainy season, periods of hot weather remain common, encouraging residents and visitors to favour cooling and leisure-oriented travel experiences. As a result, the city’s waterway tourism segment continues to maintain strong momentum and is attracting growing visitor numbers, particularly among families, schoolchildren and students.
Van Khanh, a resident of Tan Son Nhi ward, said her children have finished the academic year and begun their summer break, leading the family to choose day trips and short local holidays. She noted that waterway tourism offers convenience for all family members while providing relief from southern Vietnam’s summer heat.
Sharing a similar view, Quoc Hung, from Thanh My Tay ward, highlighted that evening operating hours make waterway tourism particularly suitable for families seeking short leisure breaks combined with dining experiences.
International visitors have also expressed interest in the city’s expanding tourism offerings, particularly the growing emphasis on immersive experiences. Among the notable products is a helicopter-and-waterway package departing from Vung Tau Airport, showing aerial views of the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve and the scenic Long Hai coastline.
Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, said the department continues to work closely with tourism and travel businesses to address challenges in research, product development and the launch of novel tour experiences.
According to her, combining helicopter services, waterway tourism and the city’s key attractions helps build a new experiential tourism ecosystem based on a multimodal transport network. This model improves product flexibility, strengthens resilience to market fluctuations and reduces both transport costs and travel time.
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| A luxury cruise vessel carries visitors on a sightseeing journey along the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA) |
New data from Agoda showed that routes from Ho Chi Minh City to Tuy Hoa (Dak Lak province) and from Ho Chi Minh City to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) are among the most affordable domestic and international flight options departing Vietnam during the 2026 summer travel season.
Other budget-friendly domestic routes from the city include those to Da Nang, Tam Ky and Quy Nhon, while cost-effective international ones include Johor Bahru, Singapore and Bangkok.
From the business perspective, Pham Anh Vu, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Viet Media Travel Corporation, said the company has launched a new range of domestic travel products by proactively utilising the Ho Chi Minh City – Van Don air route.
He noted that positioning Van Don Airport in northern Quang Ninh province as a gateway connected directly to the Northeast expressway network helps optimise costs and travel times, reduces fatigue associated with road transfers and offers visitors broader destination choices, creating a more competitive and higher-quality travel model for the summer./.
