Tourists in HCM City. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Ho Chi Minh City tourism sector this yearplans to focus on digitalisation of the industry and promotion of domestictourism amid a downturn in tourism because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The department is stepping up digitalisation in tourism to propel the travelexperience, said Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the city's TourismDepartment.
The sector will continue its efforts to boost domestic tourism as the mainfactor driving the recovery of the tourism industry, Hieu said at a conferenceon tourism development held in HCM City this week.
The tourism communication and stimulus campaign, ‘Hello Ho Chi Minh City,’ hasbeen implemented to promote the city as a safe, vibrant and friendlydestination.
Tourism cooperation and linkages between HCM City and the Northeast, Northwestand the Central regions will also serve to boost domestic travel, she said.
The city aims to receive 33.5 million domestic visitors this year if COVID-19remains under control in the country.
The department has developed three scenarios for international tourism arrivalsdepending on the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
In the first scenario, the city would receive 8.6 million international touristarrivals this year if the pandemic is under control globally and Vietnam reopensall international flight routes in the beginning of the year.
In the second scenario, if Vietnam opens some international flights to “safe”countries in the beginning of the year, international tourist arrivals to thecity would reach 6 million.
In the third scenario, international tourist arrivals to the city would be zeroif international travel restrictions are in place throughout the year due tothe ongoing pandemic.
Last year, the number of international tourist arrivals to HCM City was 1.3million, down 85 percent year-on-year, while the number of domestic travellersto the city was 15.8 million, a decrease of 51 percent year-on-year.
Total tourism revenue was estimated at 84.5 trillion VND (3.66 billion USD),down 39.6 percent compared to 2019./.
VNA
