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| Saigontourist Group Culinary Culture, Delicacies Festival |
Ho Chi Minh City is transforming its world-famous food culture into a powerful tourism asset, positioning cuisine as a universal language that connects visitors with the soul of the city. As Việt Nam enters a new era of economic and cultural development, tourism experts and industry leaders agree that embedding local cuisine into travel experiences is one of the most flexible, authentic and forward-thinking strategies for sustainable growth.
As the country’s largest economic, cultural and social hub, Ho Chi Minh City continues to renew its tourism products, diversify events and elevate visitor experiences. At the centre of this transformation is food, from street stalls and night markets to curated culinary journeys that reveal the city’s layered history and vibrant contemporary life.
Culinary Tourism Gains Momentum
Culinary tourism in Ho Chi Minh City has moved far beyond dining alone. In recent years, the tourism sector has expanded into river tours, heritage trails, eco-tourism and community-based experiences. Following the administrative merger that expanded the city to include former Bình Dương and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu provinces, food tourism was identified as a strategic growth pillar.Today, the city boasts more than 680 tourism resources suitable for development, with street food precincts standing out as signature attractions. Since September 2025, the municipal Department of Tourism has conducted in-depth surveys to introduce 20 new culinary tour programmes. These experiences are designed not only to satisfy appetites but to tell stories of migration, memory, trade and tradition.
Upcoming packages include two-day one-night journeys such as Flavours of the Sea, A Journey of the Taste Buds and Returning to Hometown Flavours. Shorter half-day and one-day experiences range from Vespa Le La and Coastal Saigon tours to double-decker bus dining with the Indochina Cruise and the From Farm to Bar organic chocolate farm visit. Self-guided options such as Irresistible Flavours of Vũng Tàu and Unique Cuisine of Bình Dương allow travellers to explore at their own pace.
A Strategy Built on Taste, Culture and Connection
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| Sài Gòn Street Food Festival |
With its diversity of flavours and cultural depth, Ho Chi Minh City continues to strengthen its position as an international tourism centre. Culinary tourism is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage, setting the city apart from other destinations in Việt Nam and across the region.
Food Shapes Travel Choices Across Asia
Culinary experiences are now a key factor influencing travel decisions across Asia. Data from Agoda shows that both Asian and Vietnamese travellers increasingly prioritise accommodation that includes breakfast, viewing it as a gateway to local culture and hospitality rather than a simple convenience.Agoda Việt Nam Country Director Vũ Ngọc Lâm notes that breakfast represents a meaningful connection between travellers and place, reflecting care, comfort and authenticity. This trend highlights how food, even at the simplest level, plays a decisive role in shaping memorable travel experiences.
Sharing Vietnamese Flavours with the World
As Việt Nam’s main international gateway, Ho Chi Minh City plays a crucial role in introducing Vietnamese cuisine to global audiences. Each visitor becomes a cultural ambassador, carrying flavours, stories and impressions home.Local travel companies are responding by designing food tours that go deeper than taste alone. Trần Quang Duy, Director of Chim Cánh Cụt Travel Service JSC, explains that every dish tells a story, encouraging visitors to eat in order to understand, and understand in order to love.
The company has developed seven themed journeys reflecting the distinctive flavours of Sài Gòn – Ho Chi Minh City, including Touching the Taste of Herbs, Culinary Quintessence, Authentic Eating and Healthy Living, Sài Gòn Past and Present, Food Tours for Gen Z, Tropical Sweetness and Saigon in Every Corner of Nguyễn Thái Bình.
Building a Global Brand Through Food
Surveys by leading travel firms confirm that cuisine is central to Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism identity. Vietravel reports that 81 percent of international visitors want to experience local food, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a miniature map of Vietnamese cuisine. |
| “Westerners Celebrate Vietnamese Tết” tour |
Experts further recommend digital transformation through online culinary maps, immersive video content and interactive storytelling, as well as training culinary ambassadors and engaging younger generations in preserving and reinventing traditional dishes.
Through collaboration between authorities, enterprises and creative communities, Ho Chi Minh City is turning cuisine into a universal language of tourism, one that speaks to culture, connection and shared human experience.
Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism
Website: https://www.visithcmc.vn
Saigontourist Group
Website: https://www.saigontourist.com.vn
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
Website: https://mekongtourism.org/
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