Press Release No. 01 about 22nd Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026 with the theme “Vibrant Summer Fest”
PRESS RELEASE NO. 01
22nd Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026
“VIBRANT SUMMER FEST”
Ho Chi Minh City, March 24, 2026 – In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the official renaming of Saigon – Gia Dinh City to Ho Chi Minh City (July 2, 1976 – July 2, 2026), and to stimulate domestic tourism during the summer, the 22nd Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026, themed “Vibrant Summer Fest,” organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association in coordination with relevant departments, agencies, tourism businesses, airlines, and related units, will take place from April 2nd to April 5th, 2026, at Zone B, at 23/9 Park, Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
Over more than two decades of organization, the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival has gradually affirmed its role as a flagship annual event of the city’s tourism industry, becoming a prestigious meeting point connecting management agencies, businesses, and tourists. It is also a special occasion that brings together tourism, culture, art, cuisine, and technology activities in an open, vibrant, and emotionally rich space, spreading the spirit of “openness – youthfulness – vibrancy – enthusiasm – forward-looking,” while inspiring the exploration of tourism as a complete journey of experience, both emotionally and culturally.
EXCITING SUMMER ARRIVES – WHEN EMOTIONS BECOME THE STARTING POINT OF A JOURNEY
Inspired by the theme “Vibrant Summer Fest ,” the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026 is envisioned as a multi-experience summer festival where tourism energy blends with the vibrant culture and youthful rhythm characteristic of the city. The “vibrant” spirit is not only present in the lively atmosphere but also reflects the eagerness, openness, and readiness to explore of tourists during the peak season. It also suggests a shift in the tourism industry from simple trips to emotionally rich experiences, where each destination becomes a space for connection and personal imprint, thereby positioning Ho Chi Minh City as a source of energy, spreading inspiration for domestic travel and gradually expanding connections with international tourists. On this foundation, the festival continues to affirm its role as a key tourism promotion event, contributing to stimulating the market, promoting regional linkages, and expanding cooperation opportunities within the value chain. In addition, the event is an opportunity to introduce unique products and attractive promotional programs , contributing to increased spending, extended stays, and enhanced competitiveness of the destination in the context of integration.
OPENING CEREMONY – KICKING OFF A MULTI-EXPERIENCED FESTIVAL SPACE
The opening ceremony of the 22nd Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026 will officially take place at 9:00 AM on April 2nd, 2026 at the main stage, Zone B, 23/9 Park, Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City , with the participation of leaders from central ministries and agencies, city leaders, representatives of diplomatic agencies, international organizations, tourism associations, businesses, and the press. Invested in a modern and experiential style, the opening ceremony is not only a ceremonial event but also an emotionally rich “opening act,” harmoniously combining performance art, technology, and visual effects. The meticulously staged performances recreate a dynamic, colorful, and ever-evolving picture of Ho Chi Minh City tourism, while conveying the theme “Vibrant Summer Fest” in a vivid and engaging way.
Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, emphasized: “The festival is an opportunity to refresh our perspective on Ho Chi Minh City – a destination that is becoming increasingly diverse and richer in experiences after the merger. At the same time, it is also an opportunity for the city, businesses, and localities to re-establish cooperative relationships in the new context – not just selling products together, but also building ecosystems, developing markets, and telling more compelling destination stories.”
Ms. Nguyen Cam Tu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center, shared: “This year’s festival is designed to expand experiences and enhance interaction, offering a comprehensive journey of discovery from products, culture, cuisine to people. We expect that each visitor will not only find suitable options but also feel the positive energy and unique identity of Ho Chi Minh City.”
Immediately following the opening ceremony, the entire festival space officially came into operation with over 120 booths from travel agencies, hotels, airlines, and tourism promotion agencies both domestically and internationally. The space was organized in an open style, with logical zoning, combining displays, experiences, and hands-on interaction. Besides product introductions and discounted tour sales, the booths featured diverse experiences, integrating technology, games, and on-site performances, contributing to a vibrant tourism space where each area became an “experiential touchpoint,” allowing visitors to directly explore and feel the value of the destination in an authentic way.
KEY ACTIVITY SERIES – CREATING A VIBRANT TOURISM ECOSYSTEM
1. Business promotion and networking fairs – A driving force for the tourism market.
The trade fair, which stimulates demand and connects over 30 businesses, is one of the pillars of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026, bringing together hundreds of products, services, and special offers for the peak summer tourism season. Here, travel agencies, hotels, airlines, and service providers will simultaneously introduce new products, implement attractive promotions, and provide direct consultations, enhancing interaction with customers. Taking place in Zone B, 23/9 Park, the exhibition space is organized into two main areas: the Business Zone (Pham Ngu Lao Street) featuring reputable brands, introducing new tours and summer 2026 promotions; and the Local Area Zone (Le Lai Street) recreating spaces to promote the culture and tourism of various provinces and cities, along with unique gift products and handicrafts. Beyond simply being a marketplace, the fair is positioned as a multi-faceted trading space, providing opportunities for businesses to survey the market, test products, seek partners, and expand cooperation. The participation of localities and tourism promotion agencies contributes to fostering regional linkages and increasing the value of the tourism product chain.
2. Tourism Job Fair 2026 – Connecting Human Resources, Shaping the Future
To develop human resources in the tourism industry, the 2026 Tourism Job Fair, held on the morning of April 3rd, 2026, serves as a platform for direct connection between businesses and job seekers. Beyond showcasing job opportunities, the program also contributes to career guidance, shares workforce trends, and promotes the development of high-quality human resources for the tourism industry in the new context.
3. 2026 Tourism Talkshow Program – A space for dialogue and sharing trends
The series of tourism talk shows is organized into separate sessions, taking place on different days, each focusing on a central theme: The talk show “The Role of Tour Guides in Ho Chi Minh City Tourism” brings together the Top 5 outstanding tour guides from the “Talented Guide 2025” competition, emphasizing the role of tour guides as “image ambassadors” and the importance of high-quality human resources in enhancing the tourism experience; The talk show “Ho Chi Minh City – Where Every Life Experience Can Become a Tourism Product” features the participation of travel businesses, digital platforms, airlines, accommodation providers, and media, focusing on exploiting the potential to transform urban life activities (cuisine, culture, entertainment, lifestyle, etc.) into unique tourism products, suitable for the trend of personalized experiences for tourists; The talk show “Co-creating tourism products in the megacity space of Ho Chi Minh City” brought together researchers, experts, and community representatives, emphasizing the role of multi-stakeholder linkages (State – businesses – community) in developing urban tourism products in an interdisciplinary, sustainable manner, linked to the exploitation of cultural values and local identity; the talk show “Startup and Innovation in Ho Chi Minh City Tourism” created a space for connecting startups, businesses, and experts, sharing innovative models and solutions in the tourism sector, thereby promoting the startup ecosystem , applying technology, and enhancing the competitiveness of the city’s tourism in the new context.
4. Art programs of provinces and cities – Recreating a colorful tourism landscape.
Taking place on the evening of April 3rd, 2026, the arts program of the provinces and cities will offer a performance space rich in regional cultural identity through traditional and contemporary music, dance, and art performances. The highlight will be the “Inter-provincial Arts Exchange Night,” aiming to vividly recreate the picture of Vietnamese tourism right at the event.
5. Circus, sports, and interactive activities program – Spreading a dynamic spirit and connecting the community.
Throughout the four days, diverse and engaging activities such as circus performances, sports, and interactive events were designed to encourage participation from various tourist groups. Highlights included circus performances from the City Arts Center, water puppetry, group performances, and a Vovinam workshop combining martial arts demonstrations and experiences, contributing to the promotion of health, dynamism, and community bonding. Through these forms of interaction, competition, and connecting experiences, participants not only got exercise and entertainment but also had the opportunity to connect, share, and bring tourism closer to daily life and the community.
6. A space where the colors of Vietnamese cuisine converge.
The culinary space, organized throughout the festival, brings together food brands and local specialties, combined with cooking demonstrations and hands-on experiences, contributing to the vibrancy of the event. This is one of the areas that attracts a large number of visitors, offering a rich culinary journey and vividly recreating the picture of Vietnamese culinary culture.
7. Outdoor Event Program – Activating a Multi-Layered Festival Space
Taking place from April 2nd to 5th, 2026, the outdoor event series contributes to a vibrant atmosphere with performances and interactive activities such as circus acts, magic shows, martial arts, stilt walking, etc., organized alternately in various areas, creating highlights to attract visitors. Creative and handicraft activities such as making travel leather wallets, decorating rattan fans, pottery making, and crafting fine art are designed in an open style, transforming the entire space into a lively “experiential stage”. Simultaneously, the exhibition space showcases images of destinations in Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of the Southeast region, combined with introducing characteristic tourism and cultural products, contributing to honoring local values and enhancing interaction with the public.
ASSERTING ITS POSITION AS A DYNAMIC DESTINATION THROUGH A MULTI-EXPERIENTIAL FESTIVAL SPACE
In the vibrant flow of a constantly transforming metropolis, the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026 is not just an annual event, but also a “soft declaration” about how the city positions itself in the modern tourism landscape – where experiences are at the center, technology becomes a supporting tool, and emotions are the most sustainable connecting element between the destination and the visitor. From the multi-layered festival space and the rich series of activities to the active participation of the business community and localities, all have together created a vibrant tourism ecosystem, clearly reflecting the open, creative, and integrated spirit of Ho Chi Minh City in this new era.
With values built around the theme “Vibrant Summer Fest,” the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026 is expected to not only attract a large number of tourists but also contribute to enhancing the city’s attractiveness to international friends as the peak summer season approaches. Through the harmonious combination of trade promotion, cultural experiences, and creative interactive activities, the event continues to affirm its role as an effective bridge between destinations and tourists, and between businesses and the market.
The Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival is a typical annual event of the City’s tourism sector, contributing to promoting the image of a dynamic, creative destination rich in cultural identity. Over more than 21 years of organization, the Festival has become an important tourism promotion forum, bringing together the participation of numerous provinces, cities, and tourism enterprises nationwide, showcasing a wide range of products, services, and attractive promotional programs for visitors. Through a series of exchange, promotion, networking, and thematic seminar activities, the Festival not only stimulates the growth of domestic tourism but also enhances regional connectivity, expands opportunities for cooperation, investment, and sustainable tourism development, further affirming Ho Chi Minh City’s role as a leading hub of Vietnam’s tourism industry.
Contributing to the success of the 2026 Tourism Festival is the sponsorship and support of Saigon Tourist Group (Saigontourist Group), Ben Thanh Tourist Service Joint Stock Company, Grab Vietnam, and VietCharm Culture and Cuisine Joint Stock Company (VietCharm Show).
📌 Registration Information for Participation in the Tourism Festival:
- Mr. Bui Duc Minh – Deputy Head of Domestic Tourism Promotion Division
Tourism Promotion Center – Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism
Phone: +84 902 866 233 - Departments and agencies sector:
Mr. Nguyen Trung Liem – Domestic Tourism Promotion Division
Phone: +84 918 044 777 - Business sector:
Mr. Hoang Duc Do – Domestic Tourism Promotion Division
Phone: +84 967 532 068
Please register for booths before March 27, 2026.
📌 Official press releases and images of the “22nd Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival 2026” are available at: https://bit.ly/4dksWit and the QR code below.
📌 Official Information Channels:
* Ho Chi Minh City Tourism:
– Website: www.visithcmc.vn
– Fanpage “Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City”: https://www.facebook.com/visitvibranthochiminhcity
– Fanpage “Ho Chi Minh City Tourism”: https://www.facebook.com/hellohochiminhcity
– Instagram “Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City”: https://www.instagram.com/visit.hochiminhcity/
– TikTok “Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City”: https://www.tiktok.com/@visithcmc
– YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vibrantHoChiMinhcity
Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association:
– Website: https://hta.org.vn/
– Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/hiephoidulichtphcm
📌 Press Contact Information:
Ms. Ha Phuong Mai, Tourism Promotion Center of Ho Chi Minh City – Department of Tourism
Mobile: +84 962 251 617
Email: hpmai.sdl@tphcm.gov.vn