HCM City highlights local cultures to ignite urban tourism

Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector has actively brought its indigenous culture into urban tourism, considering this as one of the strategies to promote the strengths of the city’s destination network.

Many districts have continuously launched new tourism products to stimulate the tourism market. The moves have initially impressed local people and helped attract more tourists to the city.

Recently, the People's Committee of district 5 launched a programme named "Visiting Cho Lon to Watch the Lion Dance". This programme is implemented on Saturday and Sunday of the 2nd week of each month at The Garden Mall on Hong Bang street. Within the framework of the event, there are also many mobile booths serving food, and introducing local specialties and souvenirs.

Similarly, tourism product "Tan Phu - Going is remembering" implemented by the People's Committee of Tan Phu district is attracting tourists, making Tan Phu one of the destinations with bold indigenous cultural colours.

Joining this tour, visitors can set foot on Phu Tho Hoa tunnel relic site, Tan Thoi communal house, and Phap Van pagoda with many national records. Folks can also enjoy shopping and local food at Ngoc Linh Ginseng Museum and cloth markets in Tan Phu district.

To date, Ho Chi Minh City has had more than 10 local products under the "each district has one tourism product” programme launched by the city's Department of Tourism at the beginning of 2022.

Regarding the programme, Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the municipal Department of Tourism, said that one of the strategies of the city's tourism industry is to become an attractive destination in terms of cultural - historical values, cuisine, and local people.

Statistics of the sector showed that Ho Chi Minh City currently has 366 attractive destinations, which can attract tourists. These destinations focus mainly on four main groups of resources, including natural tourism; tangible cultural tourism; intangible cultural tourism, and tourism associated with man-made crafts./.