With impressive tourism recovery in 2023, shown in the substantial increase in both tourist arrivals and tourism revenue, localities in the Southeastern and Mekong Delta regions have made huge plans for 2024, solidifying their tourism brand, developing attractive offerings, and professional services. 2023 - a bonanza year for tourism sector The southeastern localities of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Tay Ninh earned more than 180.56 trillion VND (7.35 billion USD) from hosting over 65.3 million tourist arrivals in 2023, up 22% and 18% year-on-year, respectively. Last year, Ho Chi Minh City organised a kaleidoscope of vibrant tourism events and festivals such as Vietnamese Tet festival, Ao Dai festival and River festival, which brought interesting new experiences to visitors. Ba Ria-Vung Tau boasting strength in resort and cultural tourism, and Tay Ninh bestowed with stunning natural landscapes also witnessed strong growth in tourism revenue. Tourist attractions in Mekong Delta also impressed visitors with their standout cultural, spiritual and eco-tourism products. Almost all localities in the region maintained their lustre with the number of arrivals and amount of tourism earning escalating. Striving for new targets in 2024 The tourism sector of the southern localities has outlined specific measures to attract more visitors in 2024. Ho Chi Minh City will continue joining hands with localities nationwide to branch out tourism offerings, while focusing on improving the quality of healthcare, waterway, golf and community-based tourism. Besides, tourism promotion events and programmes will be organised to introduce the city's tourist destinations in potential and key markets. Ba Ria-Vung Tau will roll out a project to diversify tourism models that are able to create added value, and contribute to affirming the province's tourism brand, attracting more tourists and encouraging them to pay more and lengthen their stay. At least one night-time tourism model that high lights local typical products and services will be developed in Xuyen Moc and Con Dao districts and Vung Tau and Ba Ria cities this year. By 2030, night entertainment complexes will be set up in Xuyen Moc and Vung Tau while local night-time tourism brands will be formed and developed, making contributions to promoting high-quality and sustainable tourism. Meanwhile in Kien Giang province, the Department of Tourism eyes 9.2 million tourist arrivals, and expects to gain 20 trillion VND (814.3 million USD) from tourism services. Southern localities preparing for tourism upswing in 2024 hinh anh 2 Tourists in Phu Quoc island, the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang (Photo: VNA) Accordingly, the province will develop high-quality accommodations, top-notch eco-resorts and entertainment zones, and improving service quality. Along with community-based tourism, it will develop traditional craft and OCOP products so as to diversify and increase the attractiveness to local tourism offerings. Targeting 4.9 million v isitors, Bac Lieu province will concentrate on completing and improving service quality in several tourist destinations, attracting investments in Tac Say tourism site and the Lap Dien bird sanctuary. The province will also capitalise on its traditional craft and agricultural production to shape up unique tourism products./. Source: Vietnam News Agency SEOUL, Police on Monday detained an arson suspect in a studio apartment building fire in eastern Seoul that left a woman with a serious injury to her head after she fell from the fourth floor while attempting to evacuate. The fire broke out on the third floor of the six-story building in Seoul's eastern ward of Gwangjin at 4:38 a.m. and was completely put out in about an hour at 5:41 a.m. after 112 firefighting personnel and 27 fire vehicles were mobilized for the operation. A woman in her 20s living on the fourth floor crashed to the ground while attempting to flee from the fire and was taken to a hospital with a serious injury to the head. Two other residents suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation, while eight other residents safely escaped the building on their own. Police made the emergency arrest of a resident living where the fire started on charges of arson. The suspect had initially told police the fire broke out for unknown reasons, but later admitted to starting the fire, officials said. Source: Yonhap News Agency