Southern tourism on right track
Impressive results in the tourist number and revenue in many southern localities in the first quarter of this year showed that the growth of sector of the region has remained stable, signaling a good summer season in the second quarter.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism reported that the southern hub welcomed 1.38 million international tourists and 8 million domestic ones in the period, representing year-on-year increases of 32% and 6.6%, respectively. Total revenue from tourism activities reached VND44.7 trillion (nearly US$1.79 billion), surging by nearly 24% from the same period last year.
In the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang, travel firms have offered many tours to ecological areas, beaches, and islands, which are popular choices for many tourists. The locality served over 2.7 million holiday-makers in the period, up over 22% year-on-year.
Its neighbour Dong Thap province, known for tourism products associated with agricultural production experience, craft village, ecotourism, and culture, attracted 1.15 million tourists in the last quarter, earning VND480 billion in revenue.
According to Vice Director of the HCM City Department of Tourism Le Truong Hien Hoa, the 20th Tourism Festival of HCM City from April 4 – 7 was eagerly awaited by many tourists looking to purchase packages with many incentives.
At the event, accommodation, travel agencies, and culinary businesses introduced 400 tour programmes, accommodation and culinary services, and health care services combined with tourism.
The Saigontourist Travel Service Company said it offered many domestic and international tour packages with well-connected itineraries and diverse experiences, including those to domestic attractive destinations such as Phan Thiet, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Yen, Con Dao, Vung Tau, and the Mekong Delta region, with flexible transportation options.
Similarly, the Vietnam Travel and Marketing Transports Joint Stock Company (Vietravel) offered various experiential tour packages with discounts, aiming to stimulate the demand in the summer tourism season.
To attract more visitors, Kien Giang’s tourism industry will continue to develop new products and focus on promoting and connecting more international flight routes to make it more convenient for the visitors, and providing products associated with environmental protection and community-based tourism towards ensuring a sustainable development for the sector.
