At the ceremony to welcome first visitors to HCMC in 2022 (Photo: SGGP)
First guests came from flights of Vietnam Airlines with the number VN245, of Vietjet Air with the number VJ157 and of Bamboo Airways with the number QH203 from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City.
Gifts for special guests in Ho Chi Minh City include six domestic business class tickets for 6 random guests on Vietnam Airlines flights, five pairs of domestic round-trip tickets for five guests on Vietjet Air flights, and five one-way domestic tickets for five guests on Bamboo Airways flights.
Speaking at the welcome ceremony, Mai Trung Thanh, one of the first tourists to Ho Chi Minh City, said that he was very happy and emotional when he suddenly became one of the lucky guests to "smash" the city in the first place.
In addition, airlines, travel agencies, and Inter-Pacific Group (IPPG) also offered many unique gifts to visitors on these flights. Specifically, first visitors to the southern metropolis were given 700 vouchers discount 20 percent for bills over VND2,000,000 when buying at all fashion stores of IPPG's DAFC system, 30 gifts worth VND3,000,000, and 16 travel vouchers of Vietravel, TST Tourist, BenThanhtourist, Penguin Travel Service Company, Viet An Tourism Company.
Speaking at the ceremony, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa acknowledged that the Covid-19 epidemic last year had a heavy impact on the tourism industry.
Thanks to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s guidance, the City Party Committee, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City’s assistance, the tourism industry in Ho Chi Minh City has gradually recovered.
First tourists are given flowers (Photo: SGGP)
Nearly 3 million local visitors have arrived in the southern largest city in the fourth quarter whereas no visitors have seen in the third quarter when the city applied social distancing restrictions.
In the fourth quarter of this year, the total revenue from tourism reached more than VND2,570 billion although it was still down more than 90 percent compared to the same period in 2020, but increased by more than 20 percent compared to the third quarter of 2021.
In 2022, Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry has formulated plans for development. It also adhered to the health sector’s guidelines in response to the new strain of Omicron for orientation towards safe and sustainable tourism.
Additionally, the tourism sector will focus on five main target groups, including a tourism development strategy in all sectors by 2030 as well as promote regional linkages, stimulate domestic tourism demand and apply the digital transformation.
