The first air flight to HCM City on January 1 brought 307 vacationers from Europe to the city, tripling the 2006 figure, according to La Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director of the municipal Tourism Department.

The Saigon Tourist Corporation (Saigontourist) alone is expected to receive 9,000 international tourists in HCM in January, up nearly 90 percent compared to last year’s figure.

The first day of the New Year also saw a rapid increase in the number of visitors to various resorts in the Mekong Delta region, of which Kien Giang province is home to superb caves, capes and stunning beaches to attract both local and foreign visitors, especially those from France and Germany.

Phu Quoc island, famous for fishing, swimming and scuba diving activities boasted remarkable growth in the number of tourists from European and Asian countries. Thousands of tourists, mainly from Japan and the Republic of Korea, also flocked to Thoi Son isle in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang to join eco-tourism tours and attend time-honoured musical performances by the locals.