VietNamNet Bridge – The tourism sector of HCM City is preparing new tourism products and promotional programs towards the year-end to realize its target to welcome 4.4 million international visitors this year.

Foreign tourists cross a street in HCM City. The city is preparing to lunch new products and services to woo more international visitors

According to the HCMC government’s figures, the city attracted more than 462,560 foreign tourists last month, rising by 2% over a year ago. In the January-October period, the city saw 3.5 million international arrivals, a year-on-year rise of 8%, and posted tourism revenues of VND72.7 trillion, a rise of 5% versus a year ago.

Vietnam News Agency quoted Nguyen Bao Anh, deputy director of the HCMC Tourism Promotion Center, as saying that the city tourism market has recovered in recent months. Many local tourist companies have reported positive growth, especially since the second half of October when international arrivals grew 10-12% against the same period last year.

To maintain growth momentum, the city’s tourism sector will organize many programs including a food festival towards the year-end, particularly in December, to woo more guests to the city, said Anh.

HCM City will further promote 100 interesting places and launch waterway tours.

Saigon Boat Co. Ltd., one of the waterway tour operators in the city, said it plans such tours within the city in early December.

Tours on Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe canal will connect the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden in District 1 with Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in District 3. Other tours linking Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 with District 2, Bach Dang Wharf with Phu My Hung Urban Area in District 7, and tours on Ben Nghe-Tau Hu Canal will be launched after that.

In the initial time, Saigon Boat will operate ten boats with each able to carry 20 passengers before launching ten more boats afterwards.

The company has plans to develop two piers near the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden, and Vinh Nghiem Pagoda to serve its customers.

Saigontourist Travel Service Company has put into service seven waterway tours from Bach Dang Wharf to Vo Van Kiet Avenue in District 1, Phu My Hung Urban Area, Binh Quoi Tourist Village in Binh Thanh District, Long Phuoc Garden in District 9, Cu Chi Tunnels, Can Gio District and Long An Province.

The tours of Bach Dang-Phu My Hung and Bach Dang-Long Phuoc Garden have attracted many international tourists.

HCMC plans to promote its waterway tourism at the Yatch Show 2014 held in Singapore late this year.

The Saigon River and the Dong Nai River run through HCMC and together with canals inside the city create 900 kilometers of waterway in total. This is great support to waterway-based tours.

This month, the city will put into operation a tourism information switchboard 1087 to serve tourists more effectively.

Given the increase in international visitors in the first ten months and the planned promotions and services, the tourism sector is pinning high hope that it will attract 4.4 million foreigners, accounting for 53% of the national number of visitors to Vietnam. The city put this year’s tourism revenues at VND99 trillion.

HCM City now has 1,402 hotels with 37,000 rooms, increasing by over 1,000 hotels and 26,000 rooms compared to 2006.

There are 866 travel firms and 5,000 tour guides in the city.    

SGT/VNN