ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Cities
Sec. Urban Transportation Systems and Mobility
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frsc.2025.1679677
Port-City Mobility Challenges in Ho Chi Minh City: Cruise Tourism Infrastructure, Stakeholder Governance, and Sustainable Urban Transitions
Provisionally accepted
Thanh Trong Tran1*
Hien Phuoc Nguyen2
Bahtiar Mohamad3Thoai Thi Kim Nguyen1Lan Chi Thi Nguyen1Hien The Le4- 1Ho Chi Minh city university of economics and finance, Ho chi minh city, Vietnam
- 2Vietnam Aviation Academy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- 3Othman Yeop Abdullah Graduate School of Business (OYAGSB), Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, kuala lumpur, Malaysia
- 4University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Cultural Studies, Ho chi minh city, Vietnam
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This study addresses the underexplored area of cruise tourism competitiveness in emerging Asian cities, focusing on port-city mobility and governance in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Using qualitative analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including tour operators, port authorities, and government officials, the research identifies a systemic framework of eight interdependent dimensions critical to HCMC's competitiveness: accessibility, shore excursion logistics, service quality, tourist spending behavior, cultural-commercial integration, institutional coordination, destination image, and regional integration. Findings reveal that despite HCMC's strategic location and rich cultural assets, disjointed transportation infrastructure—characterized by inefficient diesel-dependent port transfers, limited EV adoption, and poor last-mile connectivity— undermines sustainable development and visitor experiences. To address these gaps, the study proposes an integrated management framework that emphasizes mobility innovation, enhanced stakeholder collaboration, and curated cultural offerings near ports. By bridging infrastructure, governance, and cultural resource gaps, this research contributes to destination competitiveness theory for emerging Asian cruise markets and supports sustainable urban transitions by advancing SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) through inclusive mobility planning and SDG 13 (Climate Action) by promoting low-carbon port-city transport solutions.
Keywords: Cruise tourism, Destination competitiveness, Ho Chi Minh City, stakeholdercollaboration, sustainable mobility
Received: 05 Aug 2025; Accepted: 06 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tran, Nguyen, Mohamad, Nguyen, Nguyen and Le. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Thanh Trong Tran, trongthanh2307@yahoo.com
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