Westlife concerts could boost HCMC’s tourism reputation: Traveloka

Following the positive impacts of K-pop girl group sensation Blackpink's concerts in Hanoi in late July, Westlife's November 21-22 concerts will continue to enhance the allure of the Vietnamese music tourism market and could create a travel fever for the southern metropolis, Indra said at a recent event.

As the concerts approach, the number of tourists booking services in Vietnam through the Indonesia-based platform is on the rise, he added.

Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy director of the municipal Department of Tourism, said most tourists expressing interest in the Westlife shows were born in the 1980s and 1990s.

"Revenues from the Westlife’s concerts might be as high as Blackpink’s shows in Hanoi last July, and they will have a good effect on HCMC’s tourism in the last months of the year," Hoa commented.

Tickets for the concerts went on sale the morning of Sept. 26.

According to organizers, 30% of the tickets sold out after 30 minutes, at prices ranging between VND850,000 and VND4 million ($35-$163).

By the afternoon the same day, there was only one ticket class still available for VND3.1 million per seat.

HCMC authorities are pinning high hopes on the upcoming concerts as the recent Blackpink shows brought huge tourism earnings to Hanoi.

During the two-night concert, Hanoi received 170,000 visitors and earned total revenues of VND630 billion (US$26.5 million).

Last September, HCMC was named "Asia's leading festival and event destination" at the annual World Travel Awards.

The five original members of Westlife first formed the group in 1998 in Dublin. The group disbanded in 2012 before reuniting again in 2018. The current members of the group are Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne.

They are holders of four Guinness World Records, including the top-selling group of the 21st century in the United Kingdom.