“The city’s tourism has enjoyed strong growth in the past five years with average revenue up 26% per year and international visitors up 15% per year. Diversifying tourism products is considered as one of the keys in maintaining tourism growth,” Hong, head of the steering committee for tourism development of Ho Chi Minh City, said in a ground-breaking ceremony for a hotel on Wednesday.

The city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism reports that tourism revenue in Ho Chi Minh City in the first half of this year is estimated at VND23 trillion, up 24% year-on-year. International arrivals in Ho Chi Minh City totaled around 1.65 million, up 10% year-on-year.

As a big business hub and an international gateway for foreign visitors, Ho Chi Minh City has a strong advantage to receive international guests but it still lacks natural sites and beautiful beaches for the visitors.

So far, the tourism sector has joined forces with several localities. For instance, Ho Chi Minh City have inked an agreement to link their key tourist destinations of Vietnam tour, as Lam Dong and Binh Thuan.

Ho Chi Minh City has also cut similar deals with partners in the Mekong Delta region.

According to the tourism department, in the second half of this year, the city’s tourism will review the five-year cooperation plan with the Mekong Delta region, as well as the development of the tourism triangle among Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Thuan and Lam Dong to make better activities for cooperation.

Source: The Saigon times