Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most popular destinations for international tourists visiting Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)
The city is an attractive destination with competitive prices compared to other cities in Asia, according to Nguyen Viet Anh, a representative of the city's tourism authority.
It also has a variety of tourism products along with a system of rivers and inner-city waterways different from those in the Mekong Delta.
However, the lack of a consensus on epidemic control and prevention has made it difficult for tourists to travel across neighbouring provinces.
"As new regional tourism products are being developed, consensus among localities should be emphasised for tourism to thrive," Anh said.
“It is expected that from now till the end of this year, HCM City will welcome 3.5 million international visitors, if all bottlenecks are removed.”
Since activities on pedestrian streets, food streets and at night markets are not as vibrant as they used to be, relevant authorities are seeking approval from the HCM City People's Committee to organise a “HCM City Welcomes You" programme to attract more visitors.
A community cultural tourism area in Can Gio district’s Thieng Lieng hamlet on Thanh An island commune, under construction now, is expected to become a bright tourism spot in the near future.
Vietnam has the advantage of being a country with a high vaccination rate. Almost all adults have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Even though Vietnam has unilaterally exempted visas for 13 countries, it is necessary to create more bilateral visa-free policies with other countries to attract international visitors.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is currently working with Vietnam Insurance on efficient travel insurance, especially when the risk of COVID-19 infection is high./.