At 8am on January 1, Saigontourist held a ceremony to welcome the five-star cruise ship Costa Allegra which carried the first 800 international tourists to Vietnam in 2009. The new guests are divided into four groups to visit beauty places such as the former imperial city of Hue, the ancient city of Hoi An, and the recent UNESCO-recognized relic complex of My Son.
At 9.05am the same day, another special ceremony was held at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to receive the first international arrivals in HCM City in the new year. The municipal director of culture, sports and tourism, Nguyen Thanh Rum, and representatives of the local tourism industry presented bouquets of flowers to 250 foreign tourists on three flights, wishing them well and posing for photos with them.
With support from airport staff, the tourists completed immigration and customs procedures in a quick and professional manner.
In the North, 3,700 international tourists made tours of Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province on the first day of 2009.
The management board of Ha Long Bay said 2008 saw more than 2.65 million visitors to the World Heritage site, including over 1.71 million foreigners, a 67.6 percent increase against the previous year.