FLOWER POWER - Tourists flock to Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street, the most popular attraction in HCM City during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday. VNA/VNS Photo by Hồng Đạt

HCM CITY – HCM City received 1.8 million visitors during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday from February 8-14, up 5.9 per cent year-on-year, according to the city Department of Tourism.

International tourists reached over 75,000, up 15.4 per cent, including cruise passengers and tourists from Europe, the US, Australia, and Japan.

The holiday’s tourism revenue was VNĐ6.55 trillion (US$267.1 million), an increase of 4 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The city’s favourite attractions in Tết saw millions of local and foreign visitors.

The 2024 Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street themed ‘Spring of Love – Tết Reunion’ attracted more than 1.2 million visitors from February 7-14.

The flower street received praises from visitors with a pair of winding dragon sculptures spanning over 100 metres with head circumferences exceeding two metres each, the largest size for a zodiac animal ever displayed at the annual event.

The dragons were crafted from eco-friendly materials, mostly bamboo and rattan.

More than 90,000 baskets of 99 flower varieties including carnations, geraniums, dahlias, begonias, and more were used in a vibrant palette of red, orange, and yellow across the street.

According to Saigontourist Group, the event's organiser, around 10 million images of the 2024 Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street were uploaded on social media platforms during the Tết holiday.

The 2024 Tết Book Fair, which opened from February 7-14, also welcomed over one million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 11.1 per cent.

The fair displayed around 5,000 book titles on various topics from 30 major publishers and book distributors in the city such as Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House, Phương Nam Books, and HCM City General Publishing House.

It also showcased publications by President Hồ Chí Minh, Party and State leaders, and a collection of rare and precious books.

The fair sold 76,158 books, up 22.5 per cent, while revenue reached more than VNĐ10 billion ($407,700), up 18.2 per cent.

TẾT FUN - Tourists visit a floating fish farm in Châu Đốc City of the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang in Tết. VNA/VNS Photo by Thanh Sang

Meanwhile, Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces saw a large number of visitors in Tết.

An Giang Province served more than 610,000 local and international visitors, an increase of 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The number of overnight guests was 5,600, including 1,106 foreign tourists.

The most-visited attractions in the province included Tức Dụp Hill in Tri Tôn District, Trà Sư Cajuput Forest in Tịnh Biên District, the Sam Mountain National Tourism Area in Châu Đốc City, and the Óc Eo – Ba Thê Cultural Relic Site in Thoại Sơn District.

The province also hosted activities to serve tourists such as buffets consisting of nearly 50 kinds of Southern traditional cakes, and performances of Kylin – Lion – Dragon dances at tourism sites.

In 2024, An Giang targets to welcome 9 million visitors, including 800,000 overnight guests, and tourism revenue will reach VNĐ6.2 trillion ($253 million).

Cần Thơ City also received 398,000 visitors during Tết, including 104,000 overnight guests, according to the city’s People’s Committee.

Its tourism revenue was VNĐ415 billion ($17 million).

The city launched several activities to serve residents and visitors during Tết, such as the ‘Spring in the Countryside’ fair, a calligraphy street at the Museum of Cần Thơ, a flower road at Hậu River Park in Ninh Kiều District, and fireworks displays at five venues. – VNS