Considering waterway tours as strategic tourism products in the 2011-2015 period, Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism sector is concentrating on constructing a development plan aimed at gradually tapping this type of tourism so that it can contribute to the city’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), helping in tourism becoming a key economic sector.

To awaken the potential of urban waterway tourism, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and departments concerned have carried out continuous surveys since the beginning of 2012 to collect the necessary data for planning. Surveys have been carried out from Bach Dang Port to Can Gio to prepare for developing stopover points on this tour line. Tours from Phu My Town of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province to Can Gio District in Ho Chi Minh City will be offered. The Ho Chi Minh City Culture, Sports and Tourism Department has prepared a research project on the issue. A feasibility study has been made regarding the development of waterway tours from Bach Dang Port to Can Gio. Surveys have been carried out to serve waterway tourism development from Ho Chi Minh City-Tien Giang-An Giang-Phnom Penh-Siem Reap; Ho Chi Minh City-Dong Nai-Dai Nam Binh Duong-Ba Ria-Vung Tau and provinces in the Mekong Delta; and tours to the Rach Chiec National Sports Complex in District 2, Ho Chi Minh City. The Ho Chi Minh City Culture, Sports and Tourism Department has cooperated with theRepublic of Korea's Jeju Island Tourism Board to promote waterway tourism in Ho Chi Minh City. The Vietcruiser yacht has been put into operation as a new waterway tourism product.

Department has coordinated with other departments as well as relevant organizations from different sectors and the people's committees of districts in the city to promote urban waterway tourism. Currently, waterway tours are offered from Bach Dang Port to Districts 4-5-6-8 along Ben Nghe-Tau Hu canals; from Bach Dang Port to Districts 4-7 and Nha Be District along Ben Nghe-Kenh Doi-Rach Ong canals; from Bach Dang Port to District 1, Binh Thanh and Phu Nhuan districts, District 3 and Tan Binh District along Thi Nghe Canal. The department is cooperating with the People's Committee of District 8 and the Dong Duong Sailing Ship Company to promote tours from Bach Dang Port-Ben Nghe Canal-Tau Hu Canal-Long Hoa Pagoda-Bach Dang Port with the average number of 20 tourists per trip on Sundays. Ho Chi Minh City has invested in building a floating bridge and new toilets in District 8 to serve tourists.

To promote urban waterway tourism in the coming period, the city's tourism sector has requested the municipal People's Committee to provide guidance for organizations to accelerate environmental projects such as dredging Ben Nghe and Tau Hu canals, moving households currently residing alongside canals, increasing communication campaigns to encourage people to adopt a modern lifestyle, invest in upgrading existing wharfs and building new ones and comfortable terminals in Bach Dang Port. Ho Chi Minh City will speed up the planning work catering for tourism development alongside the western bank of the Saigon River and construction of a new tourism port. Rivers and canals along Vo Van Kiet Avenue will be utilized to promote waterway tourism.

Ho Chi Minh City's tourism sector has coordinated with other sectors concerned to inspect and deal with violations of waterway tourism regulations to ensure tourist safety. The Ministry of Transport has decided to turn seven national waterways into local waterways and assigned the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to manage and maintain them. These include Tac Ong Cu, Tac Bai, Tac Ong Nghia, Ba Tong canals and Dan Xay, Dinh Ba, Lo Ren, Vam Sat rivers. The Ministry of Transport has authorized the Ho Chi Minh City Transport Department to manage and maintain eight national waterways with the aim to reduce overlapping in management and promote waterway tourism. This is great potential for Ho Chi Minh City to develop waterway tourism in the coming period.

In the 2012-2015 period, Ho Chi Minh City will concentrate on planning and development, especially investment in building ports, wharfs, and gradually improve the infrastructure to receive ships carrying domestic and foreign tourists to the city. In 2012 and 2013, some new wharfs will be built to serve tourists. The city will popularize its waterway tourism products and improve management in this field to ensure safety for tourists. Management training courses will be organized for State officials working in the field of waterway tourism. Favorable conditions will be created for businesses to attract investment from different economic sectors to promote tourism development.