A group of tourists, including city officials and locals, on Friday traveled around Ho Chi Minh City's downtown given the first tour launched by the local government as part of its tourism recovery plan following months of COVID-19 suspension.

The 'Tu Sai Gon Xua den TPHCM' (From Old Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City) tour package came as the city sought to meet the needs of visitors during the southern Vietnamese business hub's economic recovery stage.

Travelers enjoy a panoramic view of the city through binoculars from the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, December 17, 2021. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

This is also the prelude of the city's tour package series that Ho Chi Minh City will introduce during the upcoming traditional Lunar New Year, or Tet, holiday.

Phan Thi Thang, vice chairwoman of the municipal People's Committee, and Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, director of the Department of Tourism, were among the 40 guests that participated in the tour.

A group of tourists visit the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, December 17, 2021. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

During the trip, travelers had the opportunity to visit the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, the Bitexco Financial Tower, the Saigon Skydeck, the Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street, the People's Committee building, the Municipal Theater, Caravelle Saigon Hotel, Continental Palace Hotel, and other major tourist attractions in the downtown area.

According to Nguyen Ngoc An, deputy general director of Fiditour-Vietluxtour Travel, the trans-city tour combines walking, cycling, and bus service and aims to help tourists immerse themselves in the beauty of the 300-year-old Saigon, once referred as "the Pearl of the Far East," through the architectural and historical stories told by tour guides.

A group of tourists take a stroll along Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, December 17, 2021. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

The tour is the first in a string of tourism products developed by the municipal People's Committee and the Department of Tourism, helping visitors discover the city's landmarks and their significant milestones throughout their development.

It is designed to bring visitors back in time to recover lost memories through cultural and historical imprints, An added.

Visitors take photo of the city from the 49th floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, December 17, 2021. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

According to a representative of the Department of Tourism, local authorities are currently working to renew more tourist products in order to welcome visitors back at the end of the year.

It is expected that at least seven new tours will be available to tourists in Ho Chi Minh City in December.

Visitors buy souvenirs at the Bitexco Financial Tower in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, December 17, 2021. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

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