Local people and visitors will access some 150 special deals offered by over 100 travel firms at Ho Chi Minh City's first-ever River Festival, scheduled to take place between Friday and Sunday this week.

The festival will feature a series of activities to serve locals and visitors to the southern metropolis while offering them a great source of inspiration and interesting experience about the city through different times, Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of the municipal Department of Tourism, told a meeting on Tuesday.

Two local carriers under Vietnam Airlines Group will offer airfare discounts of up to 82 percent on domestic flights to/from the city until December 23 this year to travel businesses so that they can develop package tours.

Vietnam's low-cost carrier Vietjet Air will roll out promotional fares between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm every day on all domestic routes, with airfares starting from VND0 (excluding taxes and fees) for domestic flights to Ho Chi Minh City.

Those flying with Vietjet on international flights to the southern Vietnamese city on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays will enjoy promotional fares from VND0 (excluding taxes and fees), in addition to discounts on double-date days such as August 8 (8-8) and September 9 (9-9).

As for tour programs, travel enthusiasts will receive discounts of up to 31 percent when booking city tours operated by seven travel businesses, namely Ben Thanh Tourist, Chim Canh Cut, Saco, Saigontourist, TST, Vietravel, and Vietluxtour.

Visitors can explore the city on a new means of transport, with tour prices starting from VND250,000 (US$10.57) per person through city tours operated by Chim Canh Cut, Saco, Saigontourist, TST, and Vietravel.

These travel firms will also offer tours to the outlying district of Can Gio, dubbed the 'green lungs' of the city, by road or water, with discounts of 5-40 percent.

In addition, visitors can benefit from 10-50-percent discounts when booking tickets, services to explore 10 tourist attractions citywide, including the Museum of Vietnamese History, Cu Chi Tunnels, Suoi Tien Theme Park, Dam Sen Theme Park, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and the Green Park picnic area.

Foodies should not miss out on 5-50-percent discounts offered by 21 restaurants in the city, including Michelin-starred ones, at the three-day event.

Besides, 38 lodging establishments will give 10-52-percent discounts and gifts to festival-goers.

Aside from launching a large number of travel deals, the festival will feature cultural, entertainment, art, and sports activities to serve participants, including the opening ceremony held at the Thu Ngu flagpole heritage site in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.

These activities will take place at the Saigon Cruise Port, the Bach Dang Wharf Park, the Binh Dong Wharf, along the banks of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe Canal, and in various tourist sites.

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