Saigontourist, Rex selected best tour operator hotel

15:15' 10/07/2007 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge – The Vietnam Tourism Association has selected Saigontourist Travel Service Co. and the Rex Hotel as the best tour operator and hotel in the country respectively. The association held an award ceremony in Hanoi last night for the top ten tour operators and the top ten hotels for 2006. Saigontourist, for two consecutive years, ranked first on the list, followed by Apex Vietnam, Vietnamtourism in Hanoi, Ho Guom Diethelm, Ben Thanh Tourist, Fiditourist, Vietravel, Peace Tour, Huong Giang and A Dong. The list of the top ten tour operators for 2006 changed a little compared to last year. Exotissimo and Vietnam Tourism in Danang fell off the list, and Huong Giang and A Dong have become new winners. As for the top ten hotels, the four-star Rex Hotel rose to the top position from the sixth place last year, followed by the Majestic, Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, the Caravelle, Ana Mandara Nha Trang, Melia Hanoi, Sofitel Plaza Hanoi, Nikko Hanoi, Furama Danang, and De Nhat (First). The new faces on the list are Furama, the Majestic, Sofitel Metrople Hanoi and the Caravelle, while the old names like the Hanoi Hotel, Huong Giang and the Grand did not make the list. HCMC has 11 travel companies and hotels on the list of top ten hotels and top ten tour operators, six in Hanoi, one in Thua Thien Hue, one in Danang and one in Khanh Hoa Province. Bui Van Dung, deputy chief of the Members Development and Training Division of the tourism association, told the Daily that the hotels had been chosen based on the same criteria as last year with high profit chosen as the main criterion. The key criterion for the top ten hotels is also high profit. Saigontourist Travel Service received 164,000 tourists last year, with 61,000 of them being inbound guests, and total revenue amounting to VND473bil, up 20% year-on-year. The 300-room Rex Hotel reported total revenue of VND150bil last year, up VND35bil from 2005. Last year, Vietnam attracted 3.58mil international visitors, up 3% year-on-year, and 17.5mil domestic tourists, up 6.6% year-on-year. Tourism revenue was worth VND51tril or some US$3.2bil, of which international visitors contributed around VND45.6tril, or nearly US$2.9bil. This year Vietnam is looking to 4-4.4mil foreign visitors and 19-20mil domestic tourists with total revenue reaching VND56tril, or US$3.5bil. (Source: Viet Nam Net)