HCM CITY — HCM City’s tourism sector cannot achieve comprehensive growth without close coordination among government authorities, businesses, related sectors and stronger regional linkages, officials said at a conference held in HCM City on July 18.

The Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City (ITPC) in coordination with the Department of Tourism, held the dialogue conference between tourism enterprises and city authorities to address challenges and gather proposals from the business community.

Speaking at the event, ITPC Director Trần Phú Lữ stressed that the merger of HCM City with former provinces of Bình Dương and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu on July 1 opens up opportunities for the city’s tourism sector.

The integration is expected to expand development space, diversify tourism offerings, enhance regional connectivity, and help build a modern, synchronised tourism ecosystem aligned with sustainable growth objectives.

However, Lữ acknowledged that the tourism sector also faces significant challenges in this new phase, requiring improved governance capacity and greater adaptability.

He underscored that close coordination between authorities and businesses is essential to mobilise resources and drive long-term, sustainable tourism development.

Echoing this view, Bùi Thị Ngọc Hiếu, deputy director of the Department of Tourism, said that tourism development demands a cohesive strategy between public and private stakeholders.

“The tourism sector cannot grow comprehensively without cross-sector and regional linkages, and the active engagement of all relevant parties,” she said.

According to the department, the city welcomed more than five million international visitors and approximately 30 million domestic travelers in the first half of 2025, generating over VNĐ130 trillion (approximately US$5 billion) in revenue.

While this reflects a strong post-pandemic recovery, it accounts for just 47 per cent of the year’s target, which aims for a 30 per cent increase over 2024.

“To fully unlock its potential, HCM City needs to reposition itself as an attractive, smart, and sustainable tourism destination,” Hiếu noted.

“This includes leveraging the city’s multi-centre, multi-product advantages from MICE and cultural tourism to suburban retreats, eco-tourism, and smart agriculture.”

She added that the department will continue pushing for administrative reforms, assist businesses in lowering operational costs, and promote digital transformation in areas such as marketing, management, and data reporting.

At the conference, the department responded to more than 35 questions and received a wide range of recommendations from businesses.

Key proposals included tax relief measures, support for promotional campaigns such as famtrips and presstrips, adjustments to land-use planning for coastal tourism development, and the creation of rest stops along expressways to improve regional tourism connectivity.

One notable suggestion was the call to invest in Halal-compliant tourism infrastructure to better serve Muslim travelers.

A representative from Nhã Linh Co., Ltd. noted that Muslim tourists, particularly from Malaysia, have been visiting Côn Đảo for over a decade.

However, the lack of essential religious amenities such as prayer rooms and Halal-certified accommodations has limited the potential to develop tailored tour packages for this segment.

Côn Đảo is now eyeing the Middle Eastern market, known for high-spending visitors, but its infrastructure has yet to meet required religious standards.

Businesses have proposed the department to support the upgrading of facilities and services to better cater to this niche market.

In response, Hiếu said the city will organise famtrip delegations to reassess tourism resources and strengthen linkages between central HCM City and the former provinces of Bình Dương and Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu.

The department has also proactively incorporated Muslim-friendly service requirements into promotional activities and professional event criteria, while continuing efforts to expand Halal-compliant service offerings.

Looking ahead, the city will propose additional policies to attract MICE tourists, including those from the Middle East, and expand promotional activities across the newly merged localities to better pool and leverage available resources.

Many enterprises also called for stronger cooperation between the Department of Tourism and educational institutions to develop high-quality human resources, which they consider a vital factor in ensuring the sector’s long-term growth. — VNS