Suoi Tien Theme Park in HCM City packed with visitors during the National Day holidays. (Photo: VNA)Domestictourism continued to lead the sector’s revival, with HCM City remaining the topdestination for local travellers in 2022, a study of travel trends this summerby online digital travel platform Agoda found.
It wasfollowed by Da Nang, Hanoi, Vung Tau, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Ha Long, HoiAn, and Phan Thiet.
Beachdestinations dominated the list as the country sweltered through a heatwave.
In HCM City,people visited the usual tourist attractions and amusement parks, with thenumbers estimated at 920,000 domestic and 32,484 international guests.
Nguyen ThiAnh Hoa, Director of the Department of Tourism, said visitors’ top activitiesinclude sightseeing, mostly of historic sites and museums, and shopping.
New tourismofferings are an attraction, she said.
To revivetourism following the end of COVID, the department has been coordinating withtravel firms to develop intra-city and river-based tours.
It isoffering incentives to boost MICE tourism (meeting, incentive, convention,exhibition), and ongoing tourism stimulus programmes will continue for the restof the year.
More than 70%of travel businesses have fully resumed operations and around 20 others haveapplied for a new licence.
The averageoccupancy rate at three-, four- and five-star hotels in the city was 75% duringthe holidays.
Park HyattSaigon reported an 80-85% rate while Sheraton Saigon reported 85-90%.
A TourismCuisine Culture Festival held in Cu Chi district from September 1 to 4attracted more than 25,000 visitors.
The festivalis an opportunity to promote the cultural identity, traditional values, andtourist attractions of Cu Chi district to visitors and help fulfil its tourismpotential.
The district’sattractions include Ben Duoc Tunnel, Ben Duoc Memorial Temple, a memorial housefor Vietnamese Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Ranh, a high-tech agricultural zone,and fruit gardens in Trung An commune.
Shoppingmalls and supermarkets like Emart Go Vap, MM Mega Market, Vincom, GigaMall, andAeon received large numbers of shoppers estimated at 15-50% more than on normaldays.
Tan Son NhatInternational Airport handled a total of 204,000 passengers during theholidays.
The airportcoordinated with carriers and related agencies and deployed over 300 volunteersto regulate traffic and ensure safety and security on the streets.
More than1,100 buses with over 77,000 passengers plied between the airport and EasternCoach Station in Binh Thanh district during the holidays.
Popularamusement sites and tourist attractions such as Suoi Tien Theme Park, the zoo,Dam Sen Cultural Park, Ao Dai Museum, and the Cu Chi [guerrilla warfare]Tunnels saw an influx of visitors.
Bui Thi ToTrinh, Deputy General director of the Suoi Tiên Theme Park, said at least40,000 visitors came during the holidays.
The themepark has invested in upgrades to infrastructure, planted more trees and launcheda farm which offers hands-on experience in farming and high-tech plantingtechnologies, she added.
Around170,000 people visited the Cu Chi Tunnels while 25,000 checked out the zoo.
The city hasdozens of tourism programmes in place and will add before the end of the year.
Thanks tothese, in the year-to-date more than 16.77 million domestic tourists visitedthe city, accounting for 84% of the year’s target.
Tourismrevenues in the period are estimated at 74.5 trillion VND (3.3 billion USD) or93% of the target./.
VNA
