HCM CITY — HCM City’s tourism industry will strengthen co-operation with official agencies, district administrations and various industry stakeholders to improve tourism promotion and marketing, city officials have said.

Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee, said the city is focusing on developing river tourism and promoting rural, ecological and cultural tourism in districts 9, 5, Củ Chi, and Cần Giờ in the coming months.

Every month the People’s Committee would organise meetings to assess tourism growth, he told a meeting this week.

Close co-ordination between State agencies and stake holders is vital to gather feedback for developing tourism, he said.

Bùi Tá Hoàng Vũ, director of the Department of Tourism, said there would be at least one tourism event held in the city every month.

Processes to ensure the safety of tourists visiting the city would be strengthened, he said.

The Department of Tourism will work with the Department of Transport to upgrade piers for tourist boats to dock.

It is expected that the first river public transit route from Bạch Đằng Wharf in District 1 to Thủ Đức District will start at the end of June.

Route No.2 from Bạch Đằng Wharf to District 8 will begin early next year.

This year the department has promoted tourism products in districts 5, Củ Chi and Cần Giờ through field trips to tourist destinations and meetings with local authorities, major tour operators and tourism services providers, Vũ said.

A wide range of tourism promotion activities and events to attract tourists have been held, including a ceremony to welcome the five millionth international tourist, the HCM City Áo Dài Festival, Tourism Fair, and the Việt Nam-HCM City Promotion Programme in Russia.

The number of foreigners visiting the city soared 15 per cent in the first quarter of the year to more than 1.5 million.

Turnover from tourism is estimated at VNĐ27.7 trillion (US$1.22 billion), a year-on-year increase of 15.6 per cent. — VNS