Beyond a transit hub how Ho Chi Minh City keeps visitors longer
The April 30th–May
1st holiday saw a large influx of visitors, but travel behavior has changed. In
this context, Ho Chi Minh City is showing signs of shifting from a transit hub
to an experiential destination, clearly reflecting the changing market.
After the April 30th - May 1st holiday in 2026, tourist numbers remained high,
but the way Vietnamese people travel has changed. Instead of focusing on long
trips or crowded destinations, many are opting for shorter trips, concentrating
on specific experiences. This shift shows that the market is not only recovering
in terms of quantity but is also changing its growth pattern.
The recent holiday period recorded over 12 million visitors nationwide, with
many localities achieving significant revenue such as Ho Chi Minh City with
approximately 8,700 billion VND and Da Nang with over 5,700 billion VND.
However, the flow of tourists is no longer concentrated in a few specific times
or destinations as before.
The fact that the two holidays are close together encourages tourists to
proactively break down their plans and travel in multiple trips. Local
authorities are also introducing new products, from night tours to eco-tourism
experiences, helping to alleviate pressure on the city center.
The key takeaway lies in how travelers manage their time and budget. Instead of
opting for long trips with packed itineraries, many people shorten their
journeys but dedicate more time to each experience.
Slow travel models or short vacations are no longer experimental but have become
a popular choice. This has led to a shift in destination selection criteria,
with the experiential element becoming more important than the number of
destinations.
This shift in behavior is closely linked to infrastructure and market
operations. Increased flights, expanded highways, and the addition of waterway
transport help shorten travel times. As time costs decrease, tourism is no
longer confined to a single long vacation, but can be broken down into multiple
trips throughout the year. Simultaneously, stimulus programs and flexible
product offerings further reinforce this trend.
Within that overall picture, Ho Chi Minh City stands out as a clear example of
market shifts. During the nine peak days, the city welcomed approximately 1.7
million visitors, including 190,000 international tourists, generating total
revenue of around 8,700 billion VND.
What's noteworthy is not just the scale, but the way the city organizes its
products. Instead of relying on its previous role as a transit hub, Ho Chi Minh
City is shifting towards building an experiential ecosystem right in the heart
of the city. A series of events such as the Tourism Festival, the Bread
Festival, art programs, and fireworks displays have created reasons for tourists
to stay longer.
Alongside this is the revitalization of traditional tours with a focus on
specific themes. Programs such as heritage itineraries, river experiences, metro
tours, classic car tours, or expansion to Can Gio and Cu Chi demonstrate efforts
to extend tourism beyond the central area. The emergence of products like
helicopter tours, cruises, and night tours also reflects a trend towards
enhancing experiential value rather than simply increasing the number of
destinations.
From a market perspective, Ho Chi Minh City is no longer just a place to "pass
through," but is becoming a destination capable of retaining tourists with
multi-layered experiences, from culture and cuisine to high-end services.
The shift towards "travel less but deeply" is creating a new growth logic for
the entire industry. Businesses are no longer competing solely on the number of
customers, but must increase the value of each experience. Shorter stays force
accommodation providers, travel agencies, and destinations to optimize services
within a short period, while also developing additional products to retain
tourists.
In this context, the role of the destination is also changing. Resource
advantages are no longer the sole determining factor; instead, the ability to
design experiences and organize products has become the core competitive
element. Localities that proactively innovate products, expand spaces, and
connect infrastructure will have a distinct advantage in adapting to this trend.
What happened after the April 30th - May 1st holiday shows that Vietnamese
tourism is entering a restructuring phase. Growth is no longer measured
primarily by the number of visitors, but is gradually shifting towards the
quality of experiences and spending levels. In this context, the question is not
about how many more tourists to attract, but how the market will adapt to a
tourism model that operates on many short trips but demands increasingly deeper
experiences.
Saigon Tours - Saigon Tours -
Last year, Saigon tourism sector continued its positive growth, the city is not
only recovering in terms of tourist numbers but is also actively innovating its
tourism products and experiences. The tourism products being promoted include:
MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), leveraging
the advantages of modern infrastructure and event centers; historical site
tourism; waterway tourism on the Saigon River, connecting unique waterway
routes; agricultural and community tourism in surrounding areas such as Hoc Mon,
Cu Chi, Can Gio, and Long Son; night tourism; medical tourism; and culinary
tourism… attracting both domestic and international tourists.
