On the evening of October 13 in Hong Kong (China), Ho Chi Minh City was once again honoured at the World Travel Awards (WTA) – reaffirming its position as one of Asia’s and the world’s leading destinations with four prestigious titles.
According to the official announcement on the World Travel Awards 2025 website, Ho Chi Minh City was recognised in the following categories:
Asia’s Leading Business Travel Destination 2025 – marking the fourth consecutive win (2022–2025);
Asia’s Leading Festival & Event Destination 2025 – marking the fourth consecutive win (2022–2025);
Asia’s Leading City Tourist Board 2025 – awarded to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism for the third consecutive year (2023, 2024, 2025);
Asia’s Leading Coastal City Break Destination 2025 – awarded to Vung Tau, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, which has been honored for the first time in this category.
Affirming the prestige and appeal of a “Mega Tourism City”
The continuous recognition of Ho Chi Minh City at the “Oscars of the global travel industry” is a powerful testament to the city’s prestige, attractiveness, and sustainable growth potential. This success reflects not only the city’s ongoing efforts to improve service quality and diversify tourism products, but also highlights its image as a dynamic, modern, and creative metropolis that remains deeply rooted in cultural identity – a unique strength that continues to captivate both domestic and international visitors.
Notably, Vung Tau – previously part of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and now under Ho Chi Minh City following recent administrative reorganisation – was recognised for the first time as Asia’s Leading Coastal City Break Destination 2025.
This milestone further enhances the image of Vietnam’s coastal and island tourism, while expanding the visibility of Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism brand across the region and the world.
Impressive Growth – Strengthening Ho Chi Minh City’s Position as a Regional Hub
In the first nine months of 2025, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed approximately 5.8 million international visitors and 29 million domestic visitors, with an estimated tourism revenue of 184.629 trillion VND. The city is well on track to achieve its 2025 targets of welcoming 10 million international visitors and 50 million domestic tourists. These impressive figures demonstrate the city’s strong appeal and reaffirm its role as a “mega tourism metropolis” – the vibrant centre of a cultural, riverine, and modern identity triangle.
Vietnam – A Shining Star of Asian Tourism
Alongside Ho Chi Minh City’s outstanding achievements, Vietnam was also honoured with two prestigious titles at the World Travel Awards 2025: Asia’s Leading Destination 2025 (for the 7th time) and Asia’s Leading Heritage Destination 2025 (for the 3rd time). These awards are a source of great national pride, reflecting the robust, comprehensive, and sustainable growth of Vietnam’s tourism industry in recent years.
Many destinations, businesses, and organizations across Vietnam were also recognized in other categories, including: Hanoi – Asia’s Leading City Destination and Asia’s Leading Short Break Destination; Hoi An – Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination; Ninh Binh – Asia’s Leading Emerging Destination; Van Don – Asia’s Leading Regional Airport; Phong Nha – Ke Bang – Asia’s Leading National Park; Moc Chau – Asia’s Leading Regional Nature Destination; Vietnam Airlines – Asia’s Leading Airline Brand; VietJet Air – Asia’s Leading Customer Experience Airline; and Bamboo Airways – Asia’s Leading Regional Airline.
World Travel Awards – “The Oscars of the Global Travel Industry”
Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards (WTA) is the most prestigious global awards program in the travel and hospitality industry, recognising excellence and outstanding achievements by destinations, organisations, and enterprises worldwide.
The continuous recognition of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in multiple categories reflects their growing international appeal and marks a significant milestone in Vietnam’s tourism development and global integration.
Driving force for a new breakthrough phase
The honours at the World Travel Awards 2025 are not only a recognition of achievements but also a strong source of inspiration and motivation for Vietnam’s tourism sector – particularly Ho Chi Minh City – to continue affirming its position on the global tourism map.
In the context of increasing global competition, preserving cultural identity, protecting natural resources, enhancing service quality, and constantly innovating are the “golden keys” for Vietnam to continue rising and shining as a “Bright Star of Asian Tourism.”
Speaking about this achievement, Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, shared: “Being continuously recognised by the international community at the 2025 World Travel Awards is a great honour and a powerful motivation for the city’s tourism sector to keep innovating and creating. Our goal is to position Ho Chi Minh City as a leading tourism hub in the Asia-Pacific region.”
These four prestigious awards not only honour the city’s relentless efforts toward sustainable tourism development, but also mark an important milestone in promoting the “Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City” brand – an inviting, friendly, and dynamic destination, confidently moving forward with the global tourism industry’s robust growth.
Find out more about Visit Ho Chi Minh City here.
