Among those participants were Nguyen Phu Binh, Vietnamese ambassador in Japan, Nguyen Thi Hong, Deputy Chairwoman of HCM City People’s Committee, representatives of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and businesses from HCM City. Saigontourist was the main organizer of the forum. On the Japanese side, there were representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and around 70 businesses concerned with the Vietnamese market.

“HCMC has been and will always be the choice for investors with a strategic vision. The cooperation for investment in Vietnam’s tourism market between Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises will bring about new and successful outcomes,” Nguyen Huu Tho, General Director of Saigontourist, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association and Chairman of the HCMC Tourism Association, addressed the Japanese investors in his opening speech at the forum.

At the forum, Saigontourist introduced to investors 12 projects of hotels, resorts and luxury complexes. Tho said he hoped Saigontourist would become a long-term trusted partner of Japanese businesses with strong capital and management, helping to boost the number of Japanese tourists visiting Vietnam and HCMC.

In the development strategy for 2010-2015, Saigontourist will focus on investing in 4,000 additional hotel rooms, resorts, leisure and entertainment complexes, conference centers and marinas of international five-star standard. These are concentrated in HCMC and other main tourist provinces and cities with strength in sea tourism, beautiful sceneries and unique local cultures. Saigontourist receives detailed guidance and special attention from the Government, HCMC leaders as well as other local authorities.

HCMC will always provide the best conditions to attract Japanese investors in tourism and tourism real estate, Nguyen Thi Hong said.

In the 2010 estimation, there will be about three million foreign tourists coming to HCMC, the figure for 2015 is estimated to reach five million. This year Vietnamese tourism was forecast to receive over 4.5 million foreign tourists, with eight million tourists and business visitors predicted for 2015.

Founded in 1975, Saigontourist is currently the biggest tourism corporation in Vietnam, manages over 100 travel companies, hotels, resorts, convention centers, leisure and entertainment complexes. Saigontourist has always been a trusted partner by foreign investors whether they need to research or approach the Vietnamese market.

Do Thi Du Lich Can Gio Joint Stock Co. also hosted a session to introduce Saigon Sunbay project to foreign investors construction of the first phase of Saigon Sunbay on 151ha in HCMC’s Can Gio District is scheduled for the first quarter of 2011. This stage will focus on land leveling with infrastructure to be completed by 2013.