Ho Chi Minh (HCM) city has greeted about 3.5 million foreign tourist arrivals from the beginning of the year, a year-on-year rise of 8%, according to a report by the municipal People’s Committee.
During the period, the city earned over VND72.7 trillion from tourism and services, a 5% rise over a year earlier.
In October alone, the number of foreign tourists to the city reached an estimated 426,000, in which those travelling the city by air posted more than 345,000 arrivals.
This month, the municipal People’s Committee announced a decision of establishing HCM city Tourism Department. The department will work with relevant departments and sectors to draw models and measures to ensure social security and safety for tourists, and promote environmental protection efforts in the city’s tourist sites.
Currently, the tourism industry contributes 11% to the city’s GDP and the city’s tourism turnover makes up 47% of that of the whole country.