Pham Ngu Lao backpacker quarter in HCMC’s District 1 attracts some 1,900 foreign budget travelers everyday, obtaining revenue of VND8.32 trillion, or some US$Dmillion, a year, a survey shows.
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| Foreign tourists in this file photo celebrate the New Year 2011 at the AllezBoo bar in the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker quarter - Photo: Kinh Luan |
According to a survey, the average length of tourists’ stay in this area is one week with average expenditure of VND12 million per trip per person.
Many tourists leave for other destinations in the country after their stay in the backpacker area.
The figures are given in a development plan for the Pham Ngu Lao tourism quarter in the 2010-2020 period by the HCMC University of Economics and the People’s Committee of District 1.
Currently, there are three main groups of visitors in this area in Pham Ngu Lao Ward, comprising those with permanent jobs from the countries within 2-4 hours flying time from HCMC, those coming for temporary jobs in the city, and those for tourism and entertainment.
The leading products of the area are residence services, open tours and several shopping and entertainment products. The most effective promotion channel includes websites of tourism agencies and the famous guidebook Lonely Planet.
The service and restaurant businesses in the quarter are spontaneous but still appealing with its own color of a backpacker quarter.
The city’s tourism authority said despite its spontaneous feature, the backpacker area has developed strongly in the past ten years and thus needs more expansion and investment.
After the planning, many follow-up actions will be done to develop the street into a distinct tourism area for free and easy travelers in HCMC.
In addition to security and transport improvement, multiple forms of entertainment will be enhanced along with tourism products, said Nguyen Viet Anh, head of the Travel Division under the city\'s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
“We plan to promote the nighttime culture and entertainment events for tourists at 23/9 Park (in Pham Ngu Lao Ward) and seek assistance from the city’s authorities to develop a distinct tourism area,” he said.
There are some ideas suggesting the business households in the backpacker area be allowed to operate 24/7 instead of opening till midnight like other areas.
