Saigontourist plans closer tourism cooperation with Japan
Ho Chi Minh City received nearly 385,000 Japanese visitors in 2025, compared with approximately 300,000 in 2024, according to its tourism department.
Saigontourist Group plans to propose broader cooperation in tourism and services at an investment promotion conference in Nagoya, as Ho Chi Minh City and Japan’s Aichi Prefecture celebrate 10 years of friendly relations.
The company was scheduled to attend the Vietnam-Ho Chi Minh City Festival in Aichi and the 2026 Ho Chi Minh City-Aichi Investment Promotion Conference. Around 100 participants are expected at the conference, including local leaders, trade promotion bodies, associations and Japanese businesses.
Potential areas for cooperation include accommodation, travel services, cuisine, MICE tourism and specialised tourism products. Saigontourist also plans to raise opportunities for management knowledge exchanges and workforce training. The company said its priority should be travel in both directions, including encouraging Vietnamese tourists to visit Aichi and other Japanese destinations.
Figures from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism put Japanese arrivals at nearly 385,000 in 2025, against approximately 300,000 in 2024. Japan was among the city’s six largest overseas visitor markets.
At the festival, Saigontourist presented accommodation, packages and experiences tailored to Japanese travellers. Hirose Noriko, the city’s tourism ambassador and the group’s representative in Aichi, helped staff the exhibition booth alongside employees from Vietnam.
