HCM City tourism rises, but so do pests

In the first seven months of 2011, the tourism industry attained sustainable growth, welcoming a total of 1,856,000 foreign visitors, a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent, accounting for 55 per cent of foreign tourist arrivals in Viet Nam in the same period.

Meanwhile, the number of local travellers on overseas tours rose sharply in the same period.

More than 485,000 Vietnamese travellers from HCM City and southern provinces took tours to overseas destinations such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and China via Tan Son Nhat Airport, up by 30 per cent compared with last year.

With average room rental of US$94 per night, three-to-five-star hotels in the city attained occupancy rates of 70 per cent, a year-on-year increase of 6 per cent, and 10 per cent higher than the occupancy rates of the same standard hotels at major tourist centres across the country.

The city's tourism sector attained total revenues of VND26.264 trillion (US$1.25 billion), up by 24 per cent compared with the same period last year, accounting for 54 per cent of the year's target.

To achieve these goals, the city has developed a waterway tourism development programme; the "HCM City – 100 Interesting Things" initiative; a programme to build standard tourist services; and a programme to build arts performances and shows as tourist services.

Source - vnagency.com.vn