HCMC’s river tour launched

A view of Ho Chi Minh City from Saigon River at night

The first river tour of Ho Chi Minh City started Saturday, taking tourists from Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 to the Painter Village in District 7.

The latest move is part of HCMC’s effort to diversify tourism products.

The tour is one of several river tours on the Saigon River which the city’s tourism department surveyed last November, to make river tourism one of the key products to enrich the city’s hospitality industry.

Last year, the city's tourism department and travel agencies made fact-finding trips up the Sai Gon River to Dong Nai Province.

The tourism department was also asked to develop river tours from HCMC to neighboring provinces, the Mekong provinces of An Giang and Cambodia.

HCMC is looking to attract 3.5 million international tourists this year, up from last year’s 3.1 million.

The city’s tourism sector last year generated total revenue of VND41 trillion (US$2.1 billion), and the figure is expected to increase to VND49 trillion this year.

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HCMC to host book road fest during Tet

Ho Chi Minh City will organize the first-ever Book Road Festival to celebrate the New Year of the Cat from January 31 to February 3, according to the city’s Department of Information and Communications.

Visitors could view a wide range of books on display along the Mac Thi Buoi Street, near the Nguyen Hue flower road in district 1.

Exhibitions featuring new and bestselling books, calligraphy demonstration, and Q&A session with the authors will be organized.

The organizers including local publishing houses, book distribution companies and private bookstores will also showcase a special display area dedicated to children books.

Festival-goers will have a chance to witness antique, valuable and rare books like “Technique du peuple Annamite, “Hoang Trieu Ngoc Diep”, “Hoang Tu Pho”, “Hoang nu pho”, “Hoang Trieu Ton Pho tien bien”, and “Gia Dinh bao”.

The fest is expected to encourage a reading culture and promote the city’s tourism to local and international visitors.

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