Saigon boosted by Russian invasion
HO CHI MINH CITY – HCM City (Saigon) drew 1.28 million foreign visitors in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 11.3% and 48% of the year’s targets, according to the municipal tourism department.
HCM City Department of Tourism director Dong Thi Kim Vui said that foreign visitors from Russia, not traditionally among the city’s top tourism markets, surged by more than 81% over the previous year.
The number of visitors from mainland China also grew 49%, followed by Australia (up 37%), South Korea (33%), Japan (15%), Taiwan (8%), and the US (8%).
Tourism brought the city over VND10.3 trillion (US$647 million) in revenue during the first half of the year, the tourism department estimated.
At the same time, the department reported that the number of domestic travellers going abroad was also surging.
Approximately 313,000 domestic tourists travelled abroad in the first six months of the year, an increase of nearly 20%, with Singapore, Thailand, China, Malaysia and Cambodia among the most popular destinations.
The department attributed the growth to such factors as promotional airfares and simplified visa procedures.
Ian Jarrett
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