Ho Chi Minh City greets first visitors from abroad in 2020
Wednesday, January 01, 2020, 12:02 GMT+7
Tourism officials in Ho Chi Minh City warmly welcomed the first 13 visitors to the southern hub from abroad on board two flights touching down at Tan Son Nhat International Airport on Wednesday morning.
The four visitors Kazuno, Jorgen, Plummer, and Coggishall came to the city from Japan on the first day of 2020 aboard the flight JL079 operated by Japan Airlines. Their flight landed at 5:50 am.
Jorgen was surprised and pleased to be given gifts as he became one of the special guests to Ho Chi Minh City.
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| Bui Ta Hoang Vu (R), director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, gives flowers to new visitors touching down at Tan Son Nhat International Airport from France, January 1, 2020. Photo: Gia Khang / Tuoi Tre |
The nine other visitors arrived from France on board the flight VN2106 operated by national carrier Vietnam Airlines in cooperation with Air France.
The annual reception for the first visitors to Ho Chi Minh City is a tradition meant to exhibit Vietnamese hospitality and impress both local and foreign tourists, in a bid to spur tourism development.
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| Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, extends her compliments to new visitors touching down at Tan Son Nhat International Airport from France, January 1, 2020. Photo: Gia Khang / Tuoi Tre |
Ho Chi Minh City expects to receive 10 million foreign visitors and 35 million domestic tourists while earning VND165,000 billion (US$7 billion), with the introduction of sustainable and culture-based tourism products in 2020.
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| The first visitors from abroad receive flowers and wishes from Ho Chi Minh City tourism officials at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, January 1, 2020. Photo: Gia Khang / Tuoi Tre |
In 2019, the city welcomed 8.6 million international visitors, up 13.5 percent year on year, and 32.8 million local tourists, a 13 percent rise against 2018.
Its tourism turnover reached over VND140,000 ($6 billion) last year, up 10.1 percent compared to one year earlier.
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