Southern metro set to welcome 3.3 million visitors

In the first nine months of 2010, the number of international arrivals to Ho Chi Minh City reached 2.2 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 13 percent.

The city expects to receive at least 3.3 million foreign visitors in 2011, earning VND48 trillion (US$2.4 billion), according to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

At this growth rate, the southern economic hub hopes to welcome the 3 millionth visitor in mid-December this year.

HCMC targets 2.8 million foreign tourists this year but the real figure may exceed 3 million.

The city’s tourism sector accounts for 60 percent of international arrivals to Vietnam , 45 percent of the country’s tourism revenues and 5.5 percent of its GDP.

Vietnam has organised tourism promotion programmes and cultural exchanges in China, Japan, the RoK and Cambodia in addition to roadshows in Australia , Norway and West European countries, they added.

The nation has targeted 4.5-4.6 million foreign tourists this year, a year-on-year increase of more than 17 percent.

Travel agencies will continue with tourism promotion and sales discount programmes in August and September in a number of key tourism cities and provinces.

Hanoi plans to organise tours to a number of ancient Vietnamese capitals, museums and homestays to attract more tourists to the city.

The Vietnamese tourism authority said it expected about 1 million Chinese holidaymakers to visit the country this year, double last year's number.

VNAT attributed the rise to a series of promotional campaigns run in major Chinese cities over the last two years.

the number of Chinese holidaymakers visiting the south of the country was rising by 25 percent annually.

Travel firms have also reported significant growth in visitor numbers from China. Lien Bang Travelink said the number of tourists using the company's services had increased by 30 percent since the beginning of the year compared to the same period in 2009.

However Vietnam could not compete with regional countries such as Bangkok or Singapore in terms of shopping malls or medical facilities.

 

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North in deficit as south runs surplus

Hanoi's trade deficit reaches nearly US$10 billion, while Ho Chi Minh City reaps a trade surplus of about $300 million in the first nine months of this year, statistics offices in the two cities stated.

In Hanoi, the trade deficit almost doubles the export value, the statistics office reports, adding that in the first nine months of this year, the city is expected to earn an export revenue of $5.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 19.5 percent.

Meanwhile, the import value rises by 18.2 percent to $15.5 billion.

In September alone, Hanoi's trade gap is predicted to hit $1.08 billion, up $70 million over August. Export revenue is expected to drop 0.3 percent against the previous month to $680 million, while import turnover is expected to rise 1.3 percent to $1.76 billion.

“It is easy to understand why Hanoi has a big trade gap. It is a large developing city with a high demand for machinery, equipment, accessories and materials for construction projects," said an official from the statistics office's trade section.

She, however, added that in the first nine months of the year, huge sums are spent on imported luxury goods such as cars, wine, cigarettes and interior furnishings.

The Hanoi Statistics Office earlier forecast that the capital would suffer a trade deficit of $13.8 billion in 2010, with exports earning just $7.6 billion and imports $21.4 billion.

From January to September 2010, HCMC's import turnover is estimated to reach nearly $15.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 12.6 percent. Its export value is predicted to reach $15.8 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of just 1 percent.

In the coming months, export turnover should rise as market demand would typically rise in the last months of the year, the city's Statistics Office stated. Although HCMC experiences a trade surplus, the office reports that exporters are encountering persistent difficulties.

Officials said the price of raw materials is increasing, which would affect exporters' competitiveness. They also said the city is suffering a shortage of skilled workers and that some industries are facing material shortages, both of which are hitting exports.

In September alone, the city's export revenue month-on-month drops 9.7 percent to $1.7 billion.

Meanwhile, the decrease in gold and crude export volumes also contributed to the fall in the city's total export value, officials said.

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North in deficit as south runs surplus

Hanoi's trade deficit reaches nearly 10 billion USD, while HCM City
reaps a trade surplus of about 300 million USD in the first nine months
of this year, statistics offices in the two cities stated.

In Hanoi, the trade deficit almost doubles the export value, the
statistics office reports, adding that in the first nine months of this
year, the city is expected to earn an export revenue of 5.5 billion USD,
a year-on-year increase of 19.5 percent.

Meanwhile, the import value rises by 18.2 percent to 15.5 billion USD.

In September alone, Hanoi's trade gap is predicted to hit 1.08 billion
USD, up 70 million USD over August. Export revenue is expected to drop
0.3 percent against the previous month to 680 million USD, while import
turnover is expected to rise 1.3 percent to 1.76 billion USD.

“It is easy to understand why Hanoi has a big trade gap. It is a large
developing city with a high demand for machinery, equipment,
accessories and materials for construction projects," said an official
from the statistics office's trade section.

She,
however, added that in the first nine months of the year, huge sums are
spent on imported luxury goods such as cars, wine, cigarettes and
interior furnishings.

The Hanoi Statistics Office
earlier forecast that the capital would suffer a trade deficit of 13.8
billion USD in 2010, with exports earning just 7.6 billion USD and
imports 21.4 billion USD.

From January to September
2010, HCM City's import turnover is estimated to reach nearly 15.5
billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 12.6 percent. Its export value
is predicted to reach 15.8 billion USD, representing a year-on-year
increase of just 1 percent.

In the coming months,
export turnover should rise as market demand would typically rise in the
last months of the year, the city's Statistics Office stated. Although
HCM City experiences a trade surplus, the office reports that exporters
are encountering persistent difficulties.

Officials
said the price of raw materials is increasing, which would affect
exporters' competitiveness. They also said the city is suffering a
shortage of skilled workers and that some industries are facing material
shortages, both of which are hitting exports.

In September alone, the city's export revenue month-on-month drops 9.7 percent to 1.7 billion USD.

Meanwhile, the decrease in gold and crude export volumes also
contributed to the fall in the city's total export value, officials
said./.

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North in deficit as south runs surplus

HA NOI — Ha Noi's trade deficit reached nearly US$10 billion, while HCM City reaped a trade surplus of about $300 million in the first nine months of this year, statistics offices in the two cities stated.

In Ha Noi, the trade deficit doubled in export value, the statistics office reported, adding that in the first nine months of this year, the city was expected to earn an export revenue of $5.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 19.5 per cent. Meanwhile, the import value rose by 18.2 per cent to $15.5 billion.

In September alone, Ha Noi's trade gap waspredicted to hit $1.08 billion, up $70 million over August. Export revenue was expected to drop 0.3 per cent against the previous month to $680 million, while import turnover was expected to rise 1.3 per cent to $1.76 billion.

"It is easy to understand why Ha Noi has a big trade gap. It is a large developing city with a high demand for machinery, equipment, accessories and materials for construction projects," said an official from the statistics office's trade section.

In the first nine months of the year, huge sums were spent on imported luxury goods such as cars, wine, cigarettes and interior furnishings, she said.

The Ha Noi Statistics Office earlier forecast that the capital would suffer a trade deficit of $13.8 billion in 2010, with exports earning just $7.6 billion and imports $21.4 billion.

From January to September 2010, HCM City's import turnover is estimated to reach nearly $15.5 billion, a year-on-year increase of 12.6 per cent. Its export value is predicted to reach $15.8 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of just 1 per cent.

In the coming months, export turnover should rise as market demand would typically rise in the last months of the year, the city's Statistics Office stated. Although HCM City experienced a trade surplus, the office reported that exporters were encountering persistent difficulties.

Officials said the price of raw materials was increasing, which would affect exporters' competitiveness. They also said the city was suffering a shortage of skilled workers and that some industries were facing material shortages, both of which were hitting exports.

In September alone, the city's export revenue month-on-month dropped 9.7 per cent to $1.7 billion. — VNS

Meanwhile, the decrease in gold and crude export volumes also contributed to the fall in the city's total export value, officials said. — VNS

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