Thousands of international holidaymakers have flocked to Vietnam to enjoy Tet, the country’s traditional Lunar New Year holiday, which began on February 17.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s tourism hub, was hit by a huge wave of around 244,000 foreigner travelers since early February, up some 30 per cent on-year. Most of them traveled from the US, Japan, China, the Republic of Korea and Australia.
The giant Ho Chi Minh City-based tourism firm Saigontourist alone received a flood of international visitors since last Thursday. The company received 2,150 travelers aboard two Italian cruise liners, the Costa Marina and Costa Allegra, at the central coast’s Danang port.
Around 8,360 additional foreign visitors including some 5,000 cruise tourists are expected to enjoy tours offered by Saigontourist during Tet.
The number of tourists flocking to Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province over the Tet holiday was 20 per cent higher than last Tet holiday, with roughly 30,000 local and international tourists.
Ancient Hue city and the World Heritage site Ha Long Bay have welcomed around 15,000 and 1,300 foreign tourists, respectively, between February 16 and 21.
The Central Highlands town of Da Lat also reported welcoming some 30,000 visitors in this period.
Beside inbound toursism, some 10,000 residents in Ho Chi Minh city toured overseas during Tet, reported the municipal Tourism Department, expecting a good year for outbound tourism development. (Thanh Nien Online, VNS)
Vietnamese
