HCMC River Festival wins double gold awards at IBA 2025
The dual recognition makes the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) River Festival one of the few events in Vietnam to achieve such international recognition.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Ho Chi Minh City River Festival 2024 has won two gold awards at the 22nd International Business Awards (IBA 2025), according to the southern metropolis’ Department of Tourism.
The opening spectacle “The Legendary Ship” wins a gold award in the “Cultural Event” category. Photo: The HCMC Department of Tourism
The festival was presented with a gold award in the “Art, Entertainment & Public Festival” category, while its opening spectacle “The Legendary Ship” won another gold in the “Cultural Event” category. This dual recognition marks a milestone, making the festival one of the few events in Vietnam to achieve such international recognition.
The IBA 2025 award ceremony is slated to take place on October 10 in Portugal. Known as one of the world’s most prestigious business awards, the IBAs are part of the US-based Stevie Awards system, described by the New York Post as the “Oscars of the business world”.
Entries were evaluated by an IBA jury of at least five members based on four strict criteria: rationale, objectives, implementation, and practical impact. The HCMC River Festival 2024 was praised by the judges for both strategic vision and strong resonance with the public.
The achievement affirms the city’s strategic approach, professionalism, and effectiveness in developing new tourism products and enhances its image as a leading cultural and festival destination in the region.
For ten days, the festival attracted over 4.5 million participants, including 121,000 international tourists. Tourism revenue was estimated at VND4.25 trillion (US$167 million). Winning the gold awards at IBA 2025 is an important step in HCMC’s integration into the global tourism map.
