HOLIDAY TOURISM SURGES IN HCMC

Crowds gather in downtown HCMC waving national flags during the April 30 grand parade - PHOTO: LE VU

HCMC – Nearly two million visitors flocked to HCMC during the five-day holiday for Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1), with tourism revenue more than doubling year-on-year to over VND7.1 trillion, according to the city’s tourism authority.

The HCMC Department of Tourism reported that from April 27 to May 1, the city received around 1.95 million visitors, rocketing 101% over the same period last year. Of these, international arrivals totaled 120,000, up 122%.

Hotel occupancy surged as the number of overnight guests climbed to 867,000, more than four times higher than during last year’s holiday. Average room occupancy across the city hit 95%, with many four- and five-star hotels in central districts such as 1, 3, 4, and Phu Nhuan fully booked during the peak days.

The room shortage also extended to non-central areas, where hotels saw occupancy rates exceed 80%. On April 30 and May 1, many hotels reported full bookings.

The city’s total tourism revenue during the holiday reached an estimated VND7.14 trillion, up 121% from the previous year. This figure is close to the VND7.69 trillion recorded over the nine-day Tet Lunar New Year break earlier this year.

The Tourism Department attributed the robust growth to strong participation from residents, tourists, and travel service providers.

City tours and historical-themed itineraries saw demand increase by two to three times compared to the same period in 2024. Travel companies noted a rise in late-departure bookings, although many visitors chose to stay in the city to watch parades and join city-based tours.

Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy director of the Tourism Department, said the strong increases in visitor numbers, hotel occupancy, and revenue showed HCMC is one of the country’s most dynamic tourism hubs.

Source: The Saigon Times