Welcoming 6,000 international guests by cruise ship
On June 13, Saigontourist officially marked a new milestone for international cruise tourism in Vietnam, when for the first time, it organized two parallel routes for inbound (foreign visitors to Vietnam) and outbound (Vietnamese visitors traveling abroad) on the Star Voyager cruise ship.
This is the first time Vietnamese tourists have explored foreign countries by cruise ship departing directly from Vietnam.
Star Voyager cruise (Photo: Saigontourist).
In June, this unit welcomed 6,000 international visitors of many nationalities to Vietnam via Phu My Port (HCMC). The groups of visitors arrived at the port on June 13, 17, 21 and 28, visiting many prominent destinations in the South such as HCMC with its museum system, Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame Cathedral, Cu Chi Tunnels, etc.
In addition, this travel agency also pioneered in bringing 200 Vietnamese tourists to experience a 4-night cruise to Singapore, departing directly from Phu My port on June 13, 17 and 21.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Luu - General Director of Saigontourist travel agency - commented that the strong development of international cruises in Vietnam not only creates opportunities to welcome high-quality international visitors but also expands the choice of experiential tourism for Vietnamese visitors right from their home port.
"This is an inevitable trend as Vietnam is increasingly chosen by major shipping lines around the world as an important stop in the global shipping system," he said.
The fact that a large travel agency like Saigontourist successfully welcomed 6,000 international visitors at Phu My port - one of the new seaports after Ho Chi Minh City expanded its boundaries - is considered the first positive signal for the city's sea tourism development strategy.
Sharing with Dan Tri reporter , Mr. Le Truong Hien Hoa - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism - said that after expanding its boundaries, Ho Chi Minh City officially has more advantages in terms of sea space, both natural factors and technical infrastructure, to welcome international visitors by sea.
Having more beaches is considered a great advantage for tourism in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Moc Khai).
In particular, Phu My port is considered an important hub for the city's cruise tourism product development strategy in the near future.
According to Mr. Hoa, the successful reception of 6,000 international visitors at Phu My port is not only a single event but also shows the true potential of cruise tourism in raising the tourism status of Ho Chi Minh City.
"The city's ability to receive large groups of visitors by sea is a testament to its ability to meet infrastructure and service needs. More importantly, this opens up hope for a new growth chain, where international visitors arriving by sea to Ho Chi Minh City can connect more deeply with the network of destinations throughout the Southeast region," said Mr. Hoa.
New expectations for Ho Chi Minh City tourism industry
Recently, many of the world's leading cruise brands have included Vietnam in their regular schedules such as: Anthem of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Solstice, Resorts World One, Azamara Onward, Silver Moon, Silver Shadow, Europa, Artania...
The Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism said that in order for cruise ship services to not only stop at potential, the city's tourism industry must continuously implement many synchronous solutions.
Many international cruise ships have included Vietnam in their regular schedules (Photo: Startravel).
First of all, we will review and re-evaluate the entire infrastructure - including seaports, traffic routes, and reception services. In particular, traffic infrastructure and services will be gradually completed according to the Government's strategic orientation.
From there, clearly segment each product group suitable for cruise ship guests: high-end resort guests, conference and meeting (MICE) tourists, short-term cultural and culinary experience packages in the inner city.
On that basis, specialized tourism packages for cruise ship passengers will be designed, including special tours for tourists who only stop for a few hours, to long-term programs connecting prominent destinations in the Southeast region such as: Thu Dau Mot City (formerly Binh Duong), Long Hai Beach, Ho Tram, Dinh Mountain (formerly Ba Ria - Vung Tau) and the center of Ho Chi Minh City.
"A reasonable distribution of products will help tourists fully experience everything from modern urban features to natural sea and forest, from typical Southern culture to traditional handicrafts and craft villages," Mr. Hoa analyzed.
At the same time, promotional activities are also being stepped up. Cruise tourism packages will be introduced at major international tourism fairs, accompanied by communication programs in potential markets.
After expanding its boundaries, Ho Chi Minh City is expected to become a megacity (Photo: Nam Anh).
Cooperation with cruise lines and international sea tour operators has also been enhanced to make Ho Chi Minh City a regular stop on tourists' Asian journeys.
In the long term, the city also aims to encourage investment in supporting infrastructure systems specifically serving cruise ship tourists: reception centers, entertainment and shopping areas near the port, high-quality transportation services, and check-in points specific to international tourists.
"We clearly identify that cruise tourism is not only a market segment, but also a new growth driver, contributing to bringing Ho Chi Minh City to the international stage as a regionally connected destination with its own identity and the capacity to reach high-end customers," the Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism affirmed.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/tphcm-co-them-cang-bien-don-6000-khach-quoc-te-tren-du-thuyen-xa-hoa-20250614115204089.htm
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