The Asia City That Could Emerge Strongest From the Pandemic
Photo Credit: Ho Chi Minh City: Asia's next financial center in the making. www.mroosfotografie.nl on VisualHunt / CC BY-NC-SA">Visual Hunt / www.mroosfotografie.nl
Skift Take
A new flare-up of Covid-19 cases in northern Vietnam does not change the fact the country has a lot going for it and that its commercial capital in the south, Ho Chi Minh City, is a rising star in Asia.
Think of Asia's great city destinations that will be most resilient post-pandemic and the usual suspects such as Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul invariably come to mind. But who's going to be next?
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is emerging as a strong contender.
Construction of a second international airport for the city broke ground last month, a significant milestone as the existing Tan Son Nhat airport, which handles 40 million passengers annually, can be expanded by only so much due to its location within city limits. The new Long Thanh International Airport, located 40 kilometers to the east of Ho Chi Minh City, is expected to handle 25 million passengers a year in phase one and 100 million when completed in 2024.
A combined airport capacity of 150 million or more passengers annually is in line with the Vietnam government's ambition to shape Ho Chi Minh City into a financial center in Asia by 2045. Authorities also envision a smart city by 20
