HCMC among 7 trending destinations to visit this fall for American travelers

By Hoang Phong September 15, 2022 | 10:00 pm PT

Fallen yellow leaves in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in downtown HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

U.S. magazine Condé Nast Traveler has listed Ho Chi Minh City among seven destinations that "are seeing surges in interests from American travelers this fall."

Vietnam's biggest city has seen a 46 percent increase in searches this fall compared to 2019, it said citing data from American online travel agency and metasearch engine Kayak.

U.S. online travel shopping company Expedia reported a 630 percent growth in searches from last fall, it said.

Christie Hudson, head of U.S. public relations for Expedia, said: "The spike in searches for places like Ho Chi Minh City point to travelers being excited to pack their bags for places that were previously harder to visit due to travel restrictions, testing requirements or high airfare prices.

"Ho Chi Minh City is very affordable for the fall months, and so your travel dollars go a long way."

She noted that she found five-star hotels in September and October starting at around $50 a night.

Fall marks the end of the rainy season as temperatures cool, making it a good time to visit the city's landmarks like the Cu Chi Tunnels, the Notre Dame Cathedral and Ben Thanh Market.

The other six destinations in the list are London, Punta Cana, New York, Munich, Albania, and Barbados.

The Vietnamese government has allowed quarantine-free entry for foreign visitors since March and lifted most Covid restrictions.

Americans can apply for an e-visa to visit Vietnam.