Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City and rural communities across the country are gaining greater attention as community-based tourism becomes an increasingly important part of the national visitor strategy. The 20th Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo (ITE HCMC 2026), held from 27 to 29 August, highlighted efforts to develop rural, agricultural and community tourism while creating new experiences around local culture, nature, farming and heritage.
For travellers, the shift means Vietnam’s tourism map is extending beyond established cities and major attractions. Visitors can increasingly find experiences built around village life, agricultural activities, local food, traditional crafts and natural landscapes.
The approach also gives international travellers more opportunities to include rural areas in itineraries that previously concentrated on urban sightseeing and major cultural landmarks.
ITE HCMC 2026 Highlights Community-Based Travel
ITE HCMC 2026 provided a platform for tourism businesses, destinations and industry participants to examine new tourism products and opportunities. Community tourism featured as part of discussions around sustainable tourism development and the diversification of visitor experiences.
Vietnam’s wider tourism strategy is increasingly focused on experiences that allow visitors to connect with local communities rather than simply moving between major sightseeing attractions.
For travellers, this can translate into village stays, guided walks, agricultural excursions, cooking experiences, craft workshops and community-led cultural activities.
The development of these experiences also allows rural destinations to become part of organised travel programmes rather than remaining occasional stops for independent visitors.
Village Tourism Brings Travellers Closer to Local Life
Community tourism places residents at the centre of the visitor experience. Local people can provide guiding services, accommodation, food, transport, cultural demonstrations and craft activities.
Travellers can therefore experience destinations through activities that reflect everyday life rather than viewing communities solely from a sightseeing perspective.
A village itinerary might include a walk through agricultural fields, a visit to a traditional workshop, participation in food preparation or an overnight stay with a local family where such accommodation is available.
The precise experiences vary between destinations, allowing Vietnam’s different regions to develop tourism products based on their own landscapes and cultural traditions.
Agricultural Tourism Opens Another Travel Route
Vietnam’s agricultural landscapes create opportunities for tourism linked with farming and food production. Rice fields, fruit orchards, vegetable farms, coffee-growing areas and other agricultural environments can form part of guided visitor experiences.
The Mekong Delta is particularly suited to agricultural and community-based travel, with waterways, farms, orchards and villages creating a landscape that differs from Vietnam’s major urban destinations.
Visitors can combine boat journeys with local food experiences, market visits and agricultural excursions, depending on the destination and season.
In northern and central Vietnam, rural tourism can similarly connect visitors with farming communities and mountain landscapes.
Cultural Heritage Becomes Part of the Journey
Community tourism also creates opportunities to preserve and present local traditions through visitor experiences. Traditional crafts, cuisine, music, architecture and festivals can become elements of organised tourism programmes.
For travellers, these experiences provide a way to understand regional differences across Vietnam. A journey through the north can reveal different cultural traditions from those found in central Vietnam or the Mekong Delta.
Local guides can explain the history and significance of cultural sites, while community-based activities can introduce visitors to skills and traditions that remain part of everyday life.
Nature Tourism Extends Beyond Vietnam’s Famous Attractions
Vietnam’s rural areas are closely connected with forests, rivers, wetlands, mountains and agricultural landscapes. Community tourism can therefore provide access to nature without separating the environment from the people who live around it.
Travellers can explore rural waterways, walk through countryside landscapes or visit protected areas with local guides where permitted.
This model can also help visitors understand how communities interact with natural resources and agricultural environments.
For nature-focused travellers, combining community activities with outdoor excursions creates a broader itinerary than a conventional sightseeing tour.
Rural Tourism Can Expand Travel Beyond Major Cities
Vietnam’s most recognised tourism centres include Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An and Ha Long Bay. Community tourism creates an opportunity to add smaller destinations around these established gateways.
Travellers based in Ho Chi Minh City can extend their journeys towards the Mekong Delta, while visitors in Hanoi can explore rural communities and countryside areas in northern Vietnam.
Central Vietnam also provides opportunities to combine established heritage destinations with rural villages and agricultural landscapes.
These combinations make it possible to build longer itineraries without abandoning the country’s best-known attractions.
Travel Planning Becomes More Important in Rural Areas
Travellers visiting rural destinations should plan transport, accommodation and activity schedules in advance. Public transport options can be more limited outside major cities, while some community experiences operate only on specific days or seasons.
Visitors should confirm meeting points, journey times, activity requirements and available facilities before departure.
Weather can also influence agricultural and outdoor experiences, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall or extreme heat.
Travellers should also respect local customs, dress appropriately when visiting religious or cultural sites and ask permission before photographing residents or participating in community activities.
Community Tourism Supports Local Visitor Economies
Community-based tourism connects visitor spending with local businesses and residents. Accommodation, food, guiding, transport, handicrafts and agricultural experiences can all form part of a village tourism economy.
For travellers, this creates more opportunities to purchase locally produced goods, eat regional food and participate in experiences managed within the destination.
The model also provides rural communities with additional tourism products while reducing the need for visitors to remain concentrated in major urban and resort areas.
Vietnam’s Tourism Map Continues to Expand
Vietnam’s focus on rural, agricultural and community tourism is creating new ways for international visitors to experience the country. The approach brings villages, farms, waterways, traditional crafts and local heritage into the wider tourism network.
ITE HCMC 2026 has placed further attention on this development as Vietnam works to expand experience-based travel alongside established sightseeing products.
For travellers, the opportunity is increasingly clear: a Vietnam itinerary can move from the energy of Ho Chi Minh City to the quiet waterways of the Mekong Delta, from major heritage sites to rural villages and from conventional sightseeing to hands-on cultural and agricultural experiences.
As community tourism develops across the country, Vietnam’s villages are becoming an increasingly important part of the international travel story, offering visitors new reasons to venture beyond the country’s familiar tourist routes.
