HCMC aims to double tourism revenue

Arrivals to Ho Chi Minh City continue to soar as the city focuses on expanding in potential new markets.

Ho Chi Minh City’s People Committee aims to double tourism revenue to hit VND46 trillion by 2010.

HCMC’s People Committee recently adopted a tourism development scheme aimed at expanding in potential tourism markets such as Norway, Sweden, India, Indonesia and South Africa in addition to key markets including the US, Canada, France, Japan, China and ASEAN.

According to the report, the HCMC Tourism Department and the Tourism Association will coordinate with domestic airlines to conduct campaigns abroad that introduce the country’s history, traditions and culture by actively participating in international tourism fairs and forums.

A series of tourism promotional activities will be held in major cities across the country including Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang, Hue, Dalat, Nha Trang and Can Tho to attract more local visitors to HCMC to visit attractions such as architectural works, the Chu Chi tunnels, Thong Nhat Palace, Duc Ba Church and Giac Lam Pagoda.

In addition to improving the service quality of its existing tourism, the city will introduce new tours that combine tourism with high-quality medical check-ups and treatments, spas and traditional therapies.

In the first half of 2008, HCMC welcomed close to 1.5 million foreign tourists, a year-on-year jump of 16%. The figure is expected to reach 3 million by the year’s end.

The city pulled in around VND 14.6 trillion from tourism during the period, a 40% jump over last year.

ttrweekly.com