Ho Chi Minh City, the biggest travel hub of Vietnam, saw an on-year tourism revenue growth of 40 per cent to nearly VND15.5 trillion (US$968.75 million) in the first nine months of this year, the municipal Department of Tourism said in a recent report.
The travel service revenue, though accounting for a mere 12 per cent in the total, shot up 52 per cent in the period, generating over VND1.95 trillion (US$121.87 million), while the restaurant and hotel service with VND13.5 trillion (US$843.75 million) in revenue also posted a robust 35 per cent growth.
The increasing number of international arrivals and a hike in room rates were positive contribution factors to the growth, the report said.
Ho Chi Minh City has welcomed 1.9 million international guests so far this year, up 13.7 per cent year-on-year and accounting for 59 per cent of the national figure, said the report, stating that the average room rate for three to five-star hotels in the city increased by 35 per cent on-year, with the rate at five-star hotels surging 38 per cent.
“If we could find enough rooms for tourists and the room tariffs were not high we would have more guests,” Bui Viet Thuy Tien, director of Asian Trails Co., said.
With the result, the city is still maintaining its position as the biggest travel hub in the country, and will remain so in the next few years, predicted Stephen Koay Swee Lim, general director of Ben Thanh Management Service Co., Ltd.
Though the city has less tourist attractions than some other major destinations like Hanoi or the central region, international guests would be continuing to come, he said, explaining that Ho Chi Minh City is the main transportation point and the place has more services to cater to business guests, and that is the main reason behind the city’s high position.
Presently, the number of international tourists to Ho Chi Minh City makes up 55 per cent of the country's total number.
The city’s tourism is looking forward to welcoming 2.65 million international visitors this year, up 13 per cent over last year. The tourism revenue for 2007 is expected at VND19.5 trillion (US$1.21 billion), up 20 per cent on-year. (Nhan Dan Online, SGT)
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