Ho Chi Minh City will set off fireworks in six locations next month to welcome the Year of the Rat, according to a decision signed by the city’s vice mayor Nguyen Thanh Tai.
Firework displays will launch at the Ho Chi Minh Museum in District 4, Saigon Hi-Tech Park in District 9, Binh Hung Hoa B Ward in Binh Tan District, Binh Phu Park in District 6, Ben Duoc Monument to War Martyrs in Cu Chi District, and Can Gio District Stadium.
Rising hotel rates are causing headaches for tourists and tour operators and there’s no solution in sight.
International visitors to Vietnam will find it more difficult to secure comfortable lodging at fair prices as hotel fares soar in big cities across the country.
A report from Ho Chi Minh City Department Tourism said the average price of hotel rooms in the city in 2007 increased 23 percent from the previous year, with three- to five-star luxury hotels experiencing a 31 percent price escalation.
Visitors pay on average about VND1.2 million (US$75) a night presently, compared to the average price of VND965,000 in 2006.