HCMC's tourist businesses devise new goals

Ho Chi Minh City's tourist sector turned over almost VND71.28 trillion in 2012, a 25.3 percent increase from 2011 and a five percent increase from its annual projections contributing 44.5 percent of all tourism revenues in Vietnam and about 11 percent of the city's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Following the success, the sector expects to achieve new goals set by itself and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism including receiving 7.2 million foreign visitors and earning US$9.5 billion in 2013.
Tourism and travel companies in the city t goals for the city and the country. have launched action and cooperation programs for the year. Vietravel Marketing Department Deputy Director Nguyen Minh Man said that Vietravel would focus on food culture to create its own identity and build on the popularity of Vietnamese cuisine heightened by Vietnamese-US Christine Ha's victory in the third series of Master Chef.
The four million overseas Vietnamese worldwide could be a good channel for promoting Vietnamese tourism and creating added value for this international food event.
To keep up with the increasing demand for tourism and to expand its operations, Vietravel will open new branches in major tourism provinces and cities, while increasing its transaction offices, to create a wide, friendly, comfortable and quality exchange network. The company will try to earn VND2.8-3 trillion this year in revenue. It recently agreed with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism to promote tourism abroad in 2013 focusing on a roadshow in Japan. The company will also establish a tourism product advising team including experts and representatives of popular tourist businesses, while continuing its responsible tourism program.
The Saigontourist Travel Service One-member Co., Ltd. achieved revenues of VND2,085 billion in 2012, an almost 26 percent increase from 2011, serving more than 450,000 foreign and domestic tourists.
This year the company will continue implementing its strategy to diversify its tourist products including more than 300 inbound and outbound tours, which will range from IKO Travel economical tours to Premium Travel high-grade tours focusing on culture and history, entertainment, discovery, sport and the tours for the elderly.
Saigontourist has concluded a cooperative agreement with China's Hainan Group to host 52 MV Henna tourist boats to Ha Long and Da Nang in the first four months of this year.
In addition, the company will continue implementing eight solutions, eight master programs and five control measures set at its Third Party Congress for the period from 2011-2015. Saigontourist will also try to improve its hotel services, travel, food and tourist facilities contributing to the development of the tourist and service sector in Ho Chi Minh City.
Saigontourist expects to serve 1.69 million tourists, a four percent increase from 2012-2013, turn over VND14.3 trillion, a 9.8 percent increase, make a profit of VND4.16 trillion, a 8.2 percent increase, and pay VND2.03 trillion to the State Budget, a 7.9 percent increase.
Saigontourist will take part in major tourist fairs, conferences, workshops and events at home and abroad while promoting its new logo. The company is set to make the most of tourists from major markets in Europe, North America, Australia, ASEAN and East Asia focusing on Russia, while tapping new markets such as the Middle East and India. It will also participate in regular advertising programs on VTV4 and SCTV12 television channels, while partnering with the Saigon Times Group, international aviation firms and media agencies to produce a Saigontourist column and with other facilities to advertise its brand name via the international media during international tourism events.
Other tourist firms in the city such as Ben Thanh Tourist, Fiditour and Lien Bang have also set their goals and allied with related partners to further develop the municipal tourism sector.
However, local authorities will still play a vital role in boosting tourism businesses. The municipal tourism sector will implement five central tasks this year. These are to continue improving the quality of tourist products and services focusing on river and ecological tourism, effectively operate the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Center to contribute to improving tourism promotion activities, build municipal tourism information infrastructure to provide more up-to-date information to tourists and tourist businesses, launch a "Ho Chi Minh City's tourism is responsible to the environment" program, which intends to improve the community's understanding of their responsibility to the environment to create a clean and green environment for sustainable tourism development in the city.
Efforts made since the beginning of the year in the tourism sector in the city are expected to contribute to reaching the 2013 development..