On the evening of September 26, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism informed that the Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2024 brought great pride to the city when it was simultaneously honored with two Gold Awards at the 22nd International Business Awards 2025 (IBA 2025).
Specifically, the Festival received the Gold Award in the Art, Entertainment & Public Festival category and the opening art program "Legendary Train" continued to win the Gold Award in the Cultural Event category.
This is a special milestone, making the Festival one of the few events in Vietnam to achieve double international achievements.
The IBA 2025 awards ceremony will be held on October 10, 2025 in Portugal.
IBA is one of the most prestigious awards in the world under the Stevie Awards system of the United States, described by the New York Post as "The Oscars for economics ."
After 22 seasons, the 2025 season attracted more than 3,800 nominations from 78 countries and territories, bringing together the competition of thousands of organizations, businesses, corporations, and leading global brands.
According to the process, the IBA jury, consisting of at least 5 members, evaluated the entries based on 4 strict criteria: reason for establishment; proposed objectives; implementation methods; results and practical impacts.
The Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2024 has received high praise for both its strategic vision and strong impact from the International Business Awards jury.
A representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism shared that this victory not only affirms the strategic steps, professionalism and efficiency in developing new tourism products of Ho Chi Minh City but also contributes to enhancing the city's image as a leading cultural-festival tourism destination in the region.
In particular, the Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2024 stands out as a pioneering model that harmoniously combines heritage, tourism and economic development.
The highlight of the Festival is the opening musical "The Legendary Train," consisting of 5 chapters, gathering nearly 1,000 participants and combining folk and contemporary art, music, dance, lighting, cinema and modern technology.
During the 10-day event, the Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2024 recorded more than 4.5 million participants, with a total of 1.301 million visitors to the city, including 121,000 international visitors. Tourism revenue is estimated at VND4,250 billion.
The Gold Award at IBA 2025 is not only the pride of the River Festival but also an important step in the journey of integration on the international tourism map. From the cultural-historical flow, the city has created a festival with contemporary vitality, connecting the community and opening the door to integration.
Continuing the success achieved, the 3rd Ho Chi Minh City River Festival in 2025 is scheduled to take place from November 29 to December 31, bringing a colorful picture with a series of cultural, artistic, and sports activities...
This year's festival focuses on connecting with a variety of tourism stimulus activities, promotions and regional linkage programs, creating a cultural and tourism event imbued with the identity of the river, held throughout the new Ho Chi Minh City after the merger./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/giai-thuong-quoc-te-iba-2025-le-hoi-song-nuoc-tp-ho-chi-minh-gianh-2-giai-vang-post1064314.vnp
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