A series of tourism, sport, music, and food events planned for Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week 2022, slated to last from December 5 to 11, are expected to attract thousands of domestic and foreign travelers to the southern metropolis.

At a press conference on Thursday to announce the fifth Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon, Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of the municipal Department of Tourism, shared that Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week 2022 will help support the city in its mission to offer more varied tourist experiences, increase tourist stays, and increase tourist spending. 

Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week 2022 is one of many events being hosted by the municipal Department of Tourism to welcome the upcoming new year.

Other events include a ceremony to honor the Thu Ngu Flagpole in District 1, the second Ho Chi Minh City International Music Festival-Hozo 2022, the second Ho Chi Minh City hot air balloon festival, and the fifth Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon.  

With over 14,000 marathoners from 64 countries and territories competing, the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon is the largest race in Vietnam and will host a series of special activities from December 9 to 11.

The route for the marathon begins at the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens on Le Duan Street.

It then winds past 17 cultural symbols and tourist destinations, including the newly-opened Thu Thiem 2 Bridge, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, the headquarters of the municipal People’s Committee, the Saigon Opera House, and the Nha Rong Harbor.

The finish line for the race is Empire City – a property complex in Thu Duc City.

The race is also an official member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races.

Runners who compete in the Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon can choose from four distances, including a full 42.195 kilometer marathon, a 21.1 kilometer half-marathon, a 10-kilometer race, and a five-kilometer race. 

There will also be a Kids Run for children.

The event is jointly hosted by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, the Department of Culture and Sports, the Ho Chi Minh City Athletics Federation, Sunrise Events Vietnam Company, and Techcombank.

Hoa also noted that the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism recently launched several new tours of the southern metropolis, including a walking tour from the Thu Ngu Flagpole to the Mong River and the Ho Chi Minh Museum. 

From January to October of this year, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed more than 2.65 million international visitors, a year-on-year gain of 100 percent and 75 percent of its target.

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