HCMC to promote tourism at Times Square

By Nguyen Nam, Linh Huong   December 16, 2022 | 03:56 pm PT
HCMC to promote tourism at Times Square
A screenshot shows HCMC in a promotion video on CNN. Photo courtesy of HCMC Tourism Department
A video promoting Ho Chi Minh City tourism will appear during New York's world-famous Times Square New Years' Eve celebrations this year.

Nguyen Cam Tu, Director of the Tourism Promotion Center at the HCMC Tourism Department, said that the video will be screened at the upcoming New Year's Eve event broadcast live by CNN at Times Square. The move is a part of HCMC tourism promotion campaign to attract more international visitors, said Tu.

On December 12, two other HCMC tourism videos -- "Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City" and "Ho Chi Minh City – Vibrant City" -- were also broadcast by CNN. This is the first time that videos promoting tourism in HCMC, Vietnam's largest economic hub, have appeared on the famous U.S. television channel. The two videos are being broadcasted from 6 to 10 a.m., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to midnight -- from December 12 to 29 in the Asia-Pacific and North America region.

"These are the time frames that attract a high number of viewers on CNN, and they are also the ‘golden hours’ when the world is watching the 2022 World Cup games in Qatar," Tu said.

In addition, banners and videos promoting HCMC tourism will also appear on the CNN website. After CNN, the HCMC Tourism Department will continue to place images of the city on big media channels like CNBC and Amadeus.

"This campaign aims to create a strong impact, strengthen brand navigation and continue where previous tourism promotion videos from Vietnam left off, turning HCMC into a top-of-mind destination in Asia," Tu said.

The promotional videos included footage from events, festivals, cuisine and tourism products that encourage tourists to come and experience the city themselves. The videos also aim to grab potential tourists in markets like China, Japan, South Korea and North America.

The content and expenses (undisclosed) for producing and broadcasting the videos were provided by the HCMC Tourism Department and its partners.

In 2017 and 2018, Hanoi spent $2 million to promote tourism on TV and digital platforms in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South Asia. The campaign included a 30-second ad, a 60-second video, a documentary and a 30-minute TV special. In addition, there were also pages that specialized in introducing Hanoi on CNN website, Facebook, Twitter and CNN advertising banners.

After Covid-19, HCMC is one of Vietnam’s leading localities in reopening tourism activities. A series of tours, event and campaigns have already been launched in the southern hub.

In early December, travel agency website Booking.com named HCMC among the top 15 most searched destinations for the year-end holiday season.

The video for HCMC tourism promotion is broadcasted on CNN. Video by HCMC Tourism Department

 
 
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