Ho Chi Minh City to launch aerial tour with seaplane: official

TuoiTreNews.vn - Ho Chi Minh City and a seaplane operator are in discussions on a new tourism product that will allow tourists to tour the city from the sky.

Tourists can board the seaplane at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to enjoy the aerial sightseeing tour, La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the municipal tourism, said Thursday.

The aircraft can land either on the Saigon River or in the outlying district of Can Gio to give tourists more chances to explore the city, he added.

“We have recently met with a private carrier to discuss the launch of this new service in Ho Chi Minh City,” Khanh was quoted by newswireVnExpress as saying. “This will help diversify the tourism products of the city.”

The seaplane operator the city is seeking cooperation with is Hai Au Aviation, which runs two such services in Vietnam, according to The Saigon Times Online.

Last year Hai Au Aviation inaugurated its seaplane services on the Hanoi – Ha Long route in the north and Ho Chi Minh City – Phan Thiet route in the south.

Tourists depart from Hanoi to have an aerial view of the iconic Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the northern province of Quang Ninh, and from Ho Chi Minh City to visit the famed resort city of Phan Thiet in the south-central province of Binh Thuan, home to the famous Mui Ne beach.

The southern Vietnamese megacity is working to develop its tourism industry at a time when most tourists stay in town for a short amount of time. Ho Chi Minh City also faces competition from other localities which have more places of interest.

The average stay of holidaymakers in Ho Chi Minh City is only three days, according to The Saigon Times Online.

The city is slated to host the 11th annual Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Festival at 23/9 Park from March 26 to 29.

The event will attract around 150 booths run by 40 travel agencies and hotels, offering visitors a wide range of choices for their trips, Khanh said at a press meeting on Thursday.

The organizers hope to attract 300,000 visitors for the festival.