New hotels are being built in Ho Chi Minh City to match rising tourism figures. Accor is at the front of the development while Ritz Carlton is moving in…
HO CHI MINH CITY- With new air routes, new hotels and better transportation infrastructure, tourism is booming in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economic capital and its largest metropolis. Numbers communicated by Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism points out to a total number of 3.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2011, an increase of 12.9% compared to 2010. City’s revenue from tourism was estimated at US$2.33 billion, improving its performance by 19.5% year-on-year. City officials say they are confident tourist arrivals can reach 3.8 million this year.
Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Tourism Promotion Division deputy head, Nguyen Bao Anh, explained to local media that marketing and promotion campaign will particularly target in 2012 South Korea, the United Kingdom, India and Ukraine following the launch of new air links. Over the next few months, HCM City international airport could also experience the arrival of new carriers such as Egyptair which recently visited Vietnam to study the future establishment of a route between both countries. In June, Emirates already inaugurates a flight between Dubai and Saigon.
Saigon is now looking at boosting the total number of accommodation. In Ho Chi Minh City, authorities expect that the existing supply of four and five star hotel rooms will have increased by 38 percent to reach a total of over 7,000 rooms during the period 2010-2012. More international chains cater today to the growing number of travellers. The Nikko Hotel Saigon opened last December with 300 rooms. Last June, Accor officially inaugurated its Ibis Saigon South, the group’s first ibis hotel in the country. Ibis Saigon South has 160 guest rooms providing a wide range of amenities. Three more Accor properties are due to open in Ho Chi Minh City until 2015: the Novotel Saigon Centre with 247 rooms opened its doors last May; it will be followed in 2013 by the Pullman Saigon Centre (322 rooms) and the Ibis Saigon Grand Palace (338 rooms) in 2015. Finally, last April Vietnam’s Bitexco Group broke ground for the construction of the One Ho Chi Minh City Tower, a new iconic building due to be completed by 2015. It will include Vietnam’s first Ritz Carlton Hotel. The property will be also Vietnam’s only six-star hotel and will have a total of 250 rooms.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
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