Multiple small tourism businesses have not yet recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY From now until the end of this year, there will be a series of tourism promotions and programmes for domestic and foreign tourists, with a focus on attracting five million international visitors.

Speaking at a meeting of the HCM City Tourism Association, Nguyễn Thị Khánh, chairwoman of the association, said only 70 per cent of tourism businesses have really recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Various small businesses have struggled to find financial resources, human resources and visitors to effectively operate again.

Currently, the number of tourists in many localities has exceeded the peak in the summer of 2019.

However, since tourism services have not yet fully resumed in some places, tourist overload has affected travel quality and the experience of many people.

“The tourism industry will need stronger promotional activities while creating new products for tourists within the last six months of this year,” Khánh said.

Lại Minh Duy, vice chairman of the City Tourism Association, stressed the importance of forming meaningful tourism products to meet travellers' demand.

It is expected that in August, with the support of the HCM City People's Committee and members, the city Tourism Association will organise the first Việt Nam Tourism Development Cooperation Forum in 2022.

The forum will take place over two days and be organised in the form of a trade event, which provides tourism businesses with an opportunity to directly meet, connect, exchange and promote products and services.

This is also a place for localities and international partners to negotiate and orient new and attractive tourism products, ensuring safety criteria as well as quality product packages.

The forum is also expected to attract the participation of local associations across the country.

In the last six months of the year, the City Tourism Association plans to coordinate with the Centre for Research, Conservation and Development of Vietnamese Cuisine to organize four major events, namely, the Food Festival - Quintessence of Vietnamese Rice, scheduled to take place from October 8 to 12; the Vegetarian Food Festival with the theme 'The Essence of Vietnamese Agricultural Products', scheduled for October 27-31; the Bread Festival, slated on December 8-15; and Food Week in HCM City. - VNS