According to industry insiders, the city’s Department of Tourism has so far identified and promoted tourist products with growth potentials such as MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions), food, shopping and entertainment tourism, art performances and tourism for health care. However, it needs to define a key product to focus on, aiming to make the tourist promotion the most effectively.
Ho Chi Minh City expects to rake in VND138 trillion (US$6.07 billion) from tourism in 2018
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Vo Anh Tai, General Director of Saigontourist, suggested that the city needs to define a long-term and comprehensive development strategy so that the tourist sector and firms can invest and take effective solution and programs on the orientation to enhance brands of the city’s tourism.
Tran Vinh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, also admitted the targets of the tourist sector this year are high and tough to reach so that the tourist authorities must take many measures to make the city’s tourism more attractive.
Tuyen has also called attention to ensuring safety of tourists, building Ho Chi Minh City into a safe and friendly destination and urging each citizen to serve as a tourism ambassador of the city.
On high-quality workforce training, he proposed the municipal Department of Tourism invite foreign experts and organizations to the city to offer hospitality training up to international standards.
Currently, the city’s tourist department is working on a project on establishing a night shopping area near Bach Dang wharf and Van Don wharf to advertise products made by Vietnamese businesses. The launch of night shopping markets and areas near historical sites and tourist attractions is expected to lure visitors to shop and taste the signature dishes of the city.
In 2018, the city’s tourist sector will strive to lure 7.5-8 million foreign holidaymakers and 29 million others at home, raking in VND138 trillion (US$6.07 billion), up 16.9 percent.
The sector welcomed over 6.38 million foreign visitors and 24.9 million domestic ones in 2017, earning in excess of VND115.97 trillion (US$5.15 billion)
The growing number of international arrivals to the city last year showed the encouraging initial results of tourist promotion campaigns and cooperation programs launched by the city’s authorities.
In addition to annual events such as the Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) festival, lion and dragon dance festival, Southern fruit festival, cuisine festival of the Southern land, and the international travel expo, in 2017, the city’s hospitality sector also hosted activities to promote the city’s image at international travel events.
A database for tourism promotion and a system to provide tourist information for tour guides and visitors in multiple languages have been completed, making it easier for tourists to explore the city’s tourist attractions.
The municipal People’s Committee has closely co-ordinated with the city’s Tourism Department to diversify and design new tourist products, including the launch of the river bus along Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe and Tau Hu – Ben Nghe canals, ecological tours, agri-tourism and leisure travel.
