HCMC – If Covid-19 is controlled and the tourism sector makes a good recovery, HCMC expects to welcome some 32.7 million domestic tourists in 2021.
According to the municipal Department of Tourism, more than 1.3 million foreign tourists have visited the city this year, plunging 84.8% over last year, while domestic arrivals have plummeted 54.2% to 15 million. The city’s revenue from tourism has reached VND84 trillion, down 40% against 2019, Tuoi Tre Online newspaper reported.
As Covid-19 continues to show complicated developments, the HCMC Department of Tourism has worked out three scenarios for 2021.
In the best scenario, Vietnam will reopen international flights early next year and the number of foreign tourists will reach 8.6 million. The city’s tourism revenue is expected to be VND140 trillion, equivalent to the pre-pandemic figure.
In case Vietnam can resume some international air routes to certain safe countries, the city will serve some six million international visitors and 22.9 million locals and generate VND97.7 trillion in tourism revenue.
In the last scenario, wherein the world has yet to bring the pandemic under control and international flights are still suspended, HCMC will have no foreign guests, while the number of domestic tourists is expected to be 10 million. Its tourism revenue will reach VND33.4 trillion.
The HCMC Department of Tourism has urged local travel firms to accelerate the digitization process and enhance the interaction with customers to be prepared to serve tourists when the international tourism segment is resumed.
The department is coming up with a plan to build a smart interactive tourism map for the city, applying technologies of the fourth industrial revolution for tourism promotion.
The department will also continue coordinating with the municipal Department of Culture and Sports and consulting firms to finalize a project to promote local tourism products and services on LED screens in areas crowded with tourists, along key streets and at the city’s gateways.
