Tourists visit the Reunification Palace in HCM City. International arrivals in HCM City reached 1,856,423, a 5 per cent year-on-year rise compared to the same period last year despite a nationwide drop in visitors. — VNA/VNS Photo Kim Phuong

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) — In spite of the decrease of international visitors nationwide in the first five months of the year, international arrivals in HCM City reached 1,856,423, a 5 per cent year-on-year rise compared to the same period last year.

Last month, there were 301,000 international visitors in the city, up 3.7 per cent over last year, according to figures released by the HCM City People's Committee at a meeting last week.

Tourism revenue in the first five months reached VND39.671 trillion, up 7 per cent year-on-year.

The results were due to domestic and international promotions of the city's tourism sector. Tourism publications in English and Vietnamese, a tourism map, and tourism call centre (1087) to support visitors also contributed to the rise in tourist arrivals.

The city's Department of Tourism said it would focus on upgrading the quality of tourism products and services, develop waterway tourism, foster art performances for tourism, and promote HCM City's "100 Exciting Things" programme.

According to the General Statistics Office, tourists from South Korea increased by 35.3 per cent, Finland 26.5 per cent, Spain 8.4 per cent, Singapore 6.2 per cent, Italy 4.5 per cent, the US 4 per cent, and Germany 0.4 per cent.

There were a total of 3,275,191 international arrivals to Viet Nam this year, down 12.6 per cent year-on-year.

Thai Van Re, director of the city's Department of Planning and Investment, said the first five months also saw signs of economic recovery.

The index of industrial production expanded 6 per cent, and the city attracted US$1.06 billion of FDI, up 34 per cent year-on-year.

The city saw total retail sales of goods and services rise to VND267 trillion, up 10.1 per cent year-on-year and equivalent to 20.5per cent of the country's total.

Its budget collection reached VND113.72 trillion, accounting for 42.8 per cent of the year's target, up 4.7 per cent year-on-year.

The city's export revenue in May reached $2.57 billion, up 7.6 per cent year-on-year.

However, exports in the first five months of the year dropped by 8.1 per cent year-on-year to $11.76 billion. — VNS