Press Release: Ho Chi Minh City continues to affirm its position as Asia’s Leading Destination at THE WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS 2025
Ho Chi Minh City, October 14, 2025 – On the evening of October 13 in Hong Kong (China), Ho Chi Minh City was once again honored 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 recognized 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 reorganization – was recognized 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 5.3 million international and 32 million domestic visitors, generating tourism revenue of over VND 162 trillion. The city is well on track to achieve its 2025 targets of welcoming 7 million international and 40 million domestic travelers. These impressive figures demonstrate the city’s strong appeal and reaffirm its role as a “mega tourism metropolis” – the vibrant center 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 honored 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, recognizing excellence and outstanding achievements by destinations, organizations, 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 honors 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 recognized by the international community at the 2025 World Travel Awards is a great honor 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 honor 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.
About the World Travel Awards (WTA)
Founded in 1993, the World Travel Awards (WTA) is the most prestigious awards program in the global travel and tourism industry, often referred to as the “Oscars of the travel world.” The awards honor leading brands, organizations, destinations, and businesses for their excellence in service quality and contributions to sustainable tourism development.
The WTA system covers multiple regions -including Asia, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East – with hundreds of diverse award categories, ranging from destinations, airlines, hotels, and resorts to travel agencies and tourism promotion organizations.
Results are determined through a global public voting process, attracting millions of votes from international tourism experts, industry professionals, and travelers worldwide. This reflects the credibility and significant influence of the awards within the global tourism community. The continuous recognition of Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City in major award categories demonstrates the growing appeal of Vietnam’s tourism industry and its remarkable progress in international integration.
For the full list of the 2025 award winners, please visit the official website of the World Travel Awards: https://www.worldtravelawards.com/winners/2025/asia
HO CHI MINH CITY DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM./.
