HCMC-based Anh Viet Tourist Company has asked the city government for permission to launch open-top buses to serve tourists wishing to take city tours.

Nguyen Khoa Luan, CEO of Anh Viet Tourist, said the bus service would be up and running in June this year if things go as planned.

This type of bus would take tourists to popular destinations in the center of the city and District 5.

The company is pinning high hopes that the service would attract a large number of visitors and add a new tourism product, Luan told the Daily.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved a plan to test run such buses in seven provinces and cities – Danang, Hanoi, HCMC, Lam Dong, Kien Giang, Quang Nam and Thua Thien-Hue.

Besides the foresaid proposal, the company wants to step up public-private partnerships in the upgrade of museums and historical relics in the city within 20 years.

The company proprosed providing modern equipment for sightseeing places, including electronic ticket selling, camera and voice-over systems. Visitors to the museum will be equipped with a device that is connected to a headset to hear voice-over in different languages.

Recently, the city government has discussed the smart interactive museum system, allowing tourists to use their smartphones to watch 3D images and videos.

SGT