HCM City gears up to welcome visitors during National Day holiday

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As the four-day National Day (September 2) holiday is approaching, Ho Chi Minh City is stepping up preparations to welcome an anticipated surge of visitors, with travel companies, hotels and tourist attractions upgrading services and offering new experiences to meet growing demand.

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Ho Chi Minh City – the nation’s leading economic, cultural, and tourism hub – shines brightly at night. (Photo: Vu Sinh/Vietnam News Agency)

Offering new experiences

Across popular destinations such as Vung Tau and Ho Tram, new tourism products have been introduced, from beach and spiritual tours to cultural, historical and adventure packages. Infrastructure, including smart parking, public toilets and lighting systems, has also been upgraded.

At Ho May tourist site in Vung Tau, special events, including a water music show, Ho May Show, and Night Safari tour, offer visitors new experiences to celebrate the National Day.

Meanwhile, catering to the growing demand for eco-friendly travel, Sol Retreat Farm 2 in Thuong Tan commune, has refreshed its green spaces and added new “check-in” corners such as terraced fields, reed grass paths, a corn maze and a bamboo forest inspired by Vietnam’s northwest.

Ho May Park in Vung Tau Ward has invested in new service offerings and prepared promotional packages to serve locals and tourists. (Photo: Huynh Son/Vietnam News Agency)
Ho May Park in Vung Tau Ward has invested in new service offerings and prepared promotional packages to serve locals and tourists. (Photo: Huynh Son/Vietnam News Agency)

For this year’s National Day holiday, its highlight will be a cultural and art programme featuring performances and northwestern-style culinary services. Families and overnight guests can also join hands-on experiences such as fish catching, garden tours and cultural workshops that showcase the unique traditions of the northwest region.

According to Huynh Phi Khanh, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ho Tram Commune, the locality has drawn up a detailed plan, with the support of businesses, to roll out tourism products before, during and after the holiday.

He noted that this year, Ho Tram is focusing on key tasks such as ensuring environmental hygiene, maintaining public security and order, posting goods prices transparently, thus ensuring a healthy and friendly tourism environment that will not only attract visitors during the National Day holiday but also encourage them to return in the future.

Holiday tours tied to parade and march

Travel firms reported that the demand for tours this year is higher than in previous years, particularly for northern routes linked with National Day celebrations in Hanoi on September 2, including the parade and march. Package tours to Hanoi and nearby provinces, such as Ninh Binh, Ha Long, Sa Pa, Moc Chau have sold out early.

Tourists visit the Independence Palace, a national special relic and a popular tourist attraction in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Hong Dat/Vietnam News Agency)
Tourists visit the Independence Palace, a national special relic and a popular tourist attraction in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Hong Dat/Vietnam News Agency)

Digital travel platform Agoda reported that domestic interest in Hanoi has surged more than threefold compared with the same period last year, while international searches for the city have risen by 84%.

Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the HCM City Department of Tourism, said the department has been working with local wards and communes to ensure the best conditions for visitors during this year’s National Day holiday.

International tourists were presented with the red flag with a yellow star while visiting Ho Chi Minh City at the end of April. (Photo: Contributor/Vietnam+)
International tourists were presented with the red flag with a yellow star while visiting Ho Chi Minh City at the end of April. (Photo: Contributor/Vietnam+)

She added that key tourist attractions had been well prepared and connections with businesses across the city strengthened to better serve both domestic and international travellers during the holiday, the A80 celebrations, and the remaining months of 2025.

The city’s tourism sector expected the coming holiday to offer visitors fresh experiences of a dynamic and modern HCM City that retains its distinct characters, with local businesses rolling out promotions and unique products to attract travellers.

(Source: Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

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