BUSAN, South Korea, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 27th, 2025, in Busan, South Korea – the opening session of the 1st Global City Tourism Summit (GCTS 2025) took place under the chairmanship of Mr. Park Heong-joon, Mayor of Busan. Representing the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Department and head of the delegation, attended the summit and organized the Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Program within the event framework.

The program aims to enhance the promotion of Ho Chi Minh City as a destination and Vietnam as a whole, expand cooperation relations, and update global tourism development trends. It also contributes to strengthening the relationship and fostering cooperation in culture, tourism, trade, and investment between Ho Chi Minh City and Busan on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their relationship and cooperation relations.

Purpose and Strategic Significance

The Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Program at the 1st Global City Tourism Summit (GCTS 2025) in Busan, South Korea, is not merely a promotional activity but a strategic step affirming Ho Chi Minh City's position on the Asian and global tourism map.

Its key objectives include:

• Introducing and promoting the image of Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City tourism to the international community and tourism partners in Busan, South Korea.
• Engaging and exchanging insights on new global tourism development trends, particularly in innovation, technology applications (AI), sustainable tourism development, and cultural tourism branding, serving Ho Chi Minh City's tourism development orientation.
• Establishing and leveraging partnerships with Busan-based tourism entities to seek quality buyers for the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2026.
• Networking with Korean partners and TPO (Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities) members to discuss strategic directions and explore cooperation opportunities for developing Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry in the near future.

Key Activities of the Promotion Program

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism delegation had carried out the following main activities in Busan:

1. Participation in the Global City Tourism Summit (GCTS 2025) from October 27th–29th, 2025, at Paradise Hotel Busan and Gunam Street Exhibition Area, including plenary sessions and high-level dialogues.
2. Organization of the "Meet and Work with Tourism Partners" (G2B) Program on October 28th, 2025, at Paradise Hotel, serving as a bridge for Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry to connect and collaborate directly with tourism enterprises and associations in Busan. The event will also officially introduce the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) 2026.
3. Implementation of a Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Destination Booth on October 26th–27th, 2025, along Gunam-ro Street, Haeundae, designed to be appealing and tailored to Korean market preferences.