In Ho Chi Minh City alone, the Department of Tourism reported that the city continues to lead the country in terms of visitor numbers, revenue, and contribution to the tourism industry. In 2023, the city welcomed nearly 5 million international visitors and nearly 35 million domestic visitors. Total tourism revenue exceeded 160,000 billion VND. Notably, the 5 million international visitors figure is still quite far from the approximately 8.6 million visitors in 2019 (58%), but total tourism revenue exceeded the 140,000 billion VND figure of 2019 by about 14.2%.
Tourists visiting Ben Thanh Market. Photo: TAN THANH
These figures are receiving mixed opinions from those in the tourism industry. The leader of a major travel company analyzed that the number of international tourists remains significantly lower than in 2019; tourism service prices have not increased, and are even lower; and purchasing power remains very weak. Regarding business activity, the number of newly established businesses in the tourism sector is not large, not to mention that many businesses have left the market. Many tourist destinations, shops catering to tourists, restaurants, and eateries in central areas remain closed or are advertising for rent…
Several other travel companies also reported that their business in receiving customers had recovered, but revenue had not yet reached the levels of 2019. "Overly optimistic figures at this difficult time are causing businesses to worry about their performance, inadvertently putting pressure on their strategies and plans for 2024 and beyond, wondering why, while the entire industry is achieving record revenue, our company hasn't met expectations?" - a business leader questioned.
2023 was a challenging year for businesses in many sectors, impacted by both international and domestic circumstances. With the announced growth rate, the city's tourism industry will become one of the world's leading tourism growth cities! While the data is positive, it doesn't fully reflect the actual business performance of enterprises and the industry as a whole.
Ho Chi Minh City's tourism industry has been making efforts to invest in, survey, upgrade, and launch a series of new tourism products, programs, and tours. However, in addition to statistics on the number of visitors and total revenue, detailed statistics are needed, including the length of stay, specific spending patterns, number of return visits, and whether visitors are merely transiting through certain areas. Detailed figures are needed to identify which segments generate the highest tourism revenue, guide businesses and the industry in focusing their investments for greater efficiency. Only then will the city's tourism truly be effective, impacting tourism workers, the community, and local areas, and contributing significantly to the city's economy .
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